Debutant Vanesa Nagawa put up a stunning performance to bring Uganda gold at the recently concluded inaugural World boxing African championship held at the Moi International Sports Centre, Nairobi in Kenya.
Kalungi, who fights in the 57kg category, thumped Rapelang Maselela of Lesotho in the final with the referee stopping the contest in the third round.
It was the first time Nagawa was summoned to the national team, less than a year after graduating from the youth category to the elite in the boxing champions league.
The Katabi boxing club boxer, undefeated locally, is a huge boxing prospect – regarded as virtually the top female boxer in the country currently at her tender age.
“I thank president Muhangi for giving us an opportunity to feature in the African boxing championship. I have been training and performing well in the champions league. I thank my supporters from Katabi-Entebbe and Uganda at large plus my school,” she told UBF Media.
Nagawa hailed her school of Entebbe Parents for granting her time to study and train as well as the champions league tournament that keeps them active throughout the year.
She believes that the continental success is just the beginning as she looks forward to global milestones.
As a student, Nagawa’s success will extend the demand for the government to reinstate boxing back to schools as a sport for competition for more talents like Nagawa to emerge and strenthen the national teams while they beneffit from sports scholarships.
