Live boxing: Flyweight division, Serugo falls

RESULT 11.45pm

"This was a split decision, and I personally had it the other way. I thought Serugo’s energy and punch output bossed the second and third rounds, but two of three judges did not agree" - @badlefthook 

Narek Abgaryan (#ARM) wins a controversial decision over Ronald Serugo (#UGA) to advance to round of 16.

— Bad Left Hook (@badlefthook) August 13, 2016

***

Seen two decisions didn't like at all: Nistor "losing" this morning, Serugo just now

— Graham Houston (@fightwriterone) August 13, 2016

I thought Serugo won the third rd on sheer workrate and some nice ri. hands. Abgarayan gets split decision. Crowd boos.

— Graham Houston (@fightwriterone) August 13, 2016

Serugo punching almost non-stop in 2nd, 3rd, rds; great energy.

— Graham Houston (@fightwriterone) August 13, 2016

Scorecards are 20-18 #UGA, 20-18 #ARM and 19-19 heading to the third. Crowd is singing Ronald Serugo's last name.

— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) August 13, 2016

THE FULL STORY

*****

Lot of money showed for Ugandan. Smart money?

— Graham Houston (@fightwriterone) August 13, 2016

11.00pm - Mountain to climb for veteran Ugandan Ronald Serugo against stylish and youthful Aremenian Narek Abgaryan

Men’s flyweight (52kg) - Round of 32
(Brazil time)
4:00 pm: Elie Konki (France) vs Hamza Touba (Germany)
4:15 pm: Elias Emigdio (México) vs Enkh-Amar Kharkhuu (Mongolia)
4:30 pm: Jinguan Hu (China) vs Selçuk Eker (Turkey)
4:45 pm (11.45pm): Ronald Serugo (Uganda) vs Narek Abgaryan (Armeina)
5:00 pm: Achraf Kharroubi (Morocco) vs Moroke Mokhoto (Lesotho)

Tweets about @badlefthook

Ugandan journalists arrive, the Rio Games can begin

Norman Katende and Mark Namanya

When Vision Group journalist Norman Katende landed in Rio de Janerio on Tuesday, he became the first Uganda Sports Press (USPA) journalist to cover three Olympic Games.

This is the second Olympics to have at least four accredited Ugandan journalists - a far cry from the earlier games with just single representatives.

Cricketers would describe Katende as the perfect all-rounder – reporting on several disciplines in sport itself, plus general news and photography.

In fact, his top award, the Mohamed Amin Photographic Award, a category under the annual CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2011, came from his photo-coverage of the July 11, 2010 Kampala bombing.

Added to this, his wide network in the International Olympics Committee and IAAF, the international athletics body, has ensured he made the trips enroute a new Ugandan Olympics coverage record.

Myths abound in sports as in many other aspects of life. Few journalists have been lucky to cover a medal winning Ugandan team - Katende is one of them.  After a “false” start in Beijing 2008, Katende followed it up in 2012, by “winning gold” through Stephen Kiprotich.

Unlike today when the Olympic story unfolds as it happens on our TVs, social media and phones, a few Olympics back, the Ugandan journalist at the Games was literally the country's ears and eyes.

The Olympics offers the journalists a rare opportunity to practice at the highest level, featuring on international radio, TV and newspapers on top of rubbing shoulders with the very best in the world of sport.

In the earlier years, Uganda often returned empty handed, but the gold level coverage of the games by the likes of David Sseppuuya and Kenneth Matovu (RIP) more than made up for the lack of medals.

The trailblazer in Olympic coverage was Hillary Nsambu, who benefited from the Cold War politics that affected the Olympics in the 70s and 80s.

Uganda Times Sports Editor Freddie Ssekitto wrote a critical article calling for an African boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The Russians accused him of being a CIA agent and responded by cancelling his visa days to the games. Ssekitto was summoned by his editor Ben Bella Ilakut, and told to unpack. Nsambu was then sent to cover the games where John ‘The Beast’ Mugabi grabbed silver.

Ssekitto however got his chance four years later in the land of the CIA, Los Angeles 1984.

“It was marvellous and we were fortunate to meet Muhamad Ali,” said Ssekitto.

“I was also privileged to cover it with an immensely talented and prolific writer and colleague , Fred Ssekabembe (RIP).”

Nsambu was back for his second coverage as Uganda traveled to Seoul in 1988, David Sseppuuya went to Barcelona in 1992 before Wangwe “Lucky” Mulakha took centre stage, in 1996. It was Mulakha who informed Ugandans that quarter miler Davis Kamoga had won bronze in a new national record.

James Lwanga covered the Athens Games in 2000, Kenneth Matovu was in Sydney 2004, before this writer and Norman Katende went to Beijing in 2008. We were joined for a short spell by Mark Ssali and James Mayanja.

The numbers grew in 2012 London, with the team including Mark Namanya, Norman Katende and Ahmed Hussein.

Ugandan journalists however have a long way to go to match 70+-year-olds, Italian sports journalist Giuliano Bevilacqua and Switzerland's Peter Frei. They are at 25 and 24 Olympic Games covered respectively.

Both men were honoured in Rio on Monday by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS)  for their lifelong contributions to sports journalism.

The first games Frei covered were in Sapporo, Japan, in the winter of 1972. 

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Ugandan Journalists
1956 Melbourne	0	0	0
1960 Rome	0	0	0
1964 Tokyo	0	0	0
1968 Mexico City	0	1	1
1972 Munich	1	1	0
1976 Montreal	did not participate
1980 Moscow	0	1	0	Hillary Nsambu
1984 Los Angeles	0	0	0	Freddie Ssekitto, Fred Ssekambebe
1988 Seoul	0	0	0	Hilary Nsambu
1992 Barcelona	0	0	0	David Ssepuuya
1996 Atlanta	0	0	1	Wangwe Mulakha
2000 Sydney	0	0	0	Kenneth Matovu
2004 Athens	0	0	0	James Lwanga
2008 Beijing	0	0	0	Louis Jadwong Norman Katende
2012 London	1	0	0	Louis Jadwong Norman Katende Ahmed Hussein Mark Namanya
2016 Rio				Sande Bashaija Norman Katende Mark Namanya James Bakama Aisha Nassanga

Olympic Diary: Slow start for Uganda

Uganda Olympics Schedule

Thursday August 11
Swimming 7.00pm
Joshua Ekirikubinza Tibatemwa - Men's 50 m freestyle

Friday August 12
Athletics 5pm
Juliet Chekwel - Women's 10000m final 

Saturday August 13
Boxing 11.45pm

Men's flyweight  Round of 32

Ronald Serugo vs  Narek Abgaryan (Armenia)

Saturday August 13
Athletics 4pm
Women's 3000m Steeplechase Heat 1
Peruth Chemutai

10000m men final (3.00am Sunday Uganda time)
Timothy Toroitich, Moses Kurong and Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei

Light-heavy weight boxer Kennedy Katende was stopped by Briton Joshua Buatsi in one of the preliminary fights, while swimmer Jamila Lunkuse managed 1:19.64 (her national record is 1:15.11) in the 100m breast-stroke, a time better than four others, but was 40th in the heats.

It was the characteristic slow start for Uganda at the Olympics on Sunday. Uganda usually keeps the best for last - capping it at the last games with gold for Stephen Kiprotich on the final day, in the marathon, the final event of the games.

Team Uganda will wait anxiously for the start of athletics on Friday, as the country's only realistic hopes for a medal are in track and field. It is only on track that Uganda has athletes ranked among the top 20 in the world. (preview)

Before then, Joshua Ekirikubinza Tibatemwa dives into the pool for the men's 50 m freestyle and flyweight boxer Ronald Serugo fights Armenian Narek Abgaryan.

Tibatemwa's  biggest impact could be in improving his Uganda 50m freestyle record of 25.54 while one only needs to look at the qualifying path taken by European and Asian fighters, to know it is an uphill task for Serugo.

Otherwise, the onus to produce medals will rest on the athletes, who flew to Rio after Saturday's send off by President Yoweri Museveni. The team arrived in Rio Monday night, gets three days rest before action proper begins.

The last batch, the men marathoners led by Kiprotich, will only fly to Rio a week later.

Schedule continued:

Sunday August 14
Women's marathon final 3.30pm
Nyakisi Adero

Monday August 15 
Men's 3000m steeplechase round 1 - 4.25pm
Benjamin Kiplagat and Jacob Araptany
***
Women 3000m Steeplechase final 5.15pm

Tuesday August 16 
Women's 5000m round 1 - 3.30pm
Juliet Chekwel and Stella Chesang

Men's 1500m round 1 - 4-30pm
Ronald Musagala

Wed August 17 
Men's 5000m round 1 - 4.05pm
Jacob Kiplimo, Phillip Kipyego and Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei

Women's 800m round 1 - 4.55pm
Halimah Nakaayi and Winnie Nanyondo

Men's Steeplechase final

Thursday August 18 
Men's 1500m semifinal
Women 800m semifinal

Friday August 19 
Women's 5000m final

Saturday August 20 
Men's 1500m final
Women's 800m final
Men's 5000m final 3.30pm
Jacob Kiplimo, Phillip Kipyego and Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei

Sunday August 21 
Men's Marathon final 3.30pm
Solomon Mutai, Jackson Kiprop and Stephen Kiprotich

Medal standings

	Country
	1 United States		9		8		9		26
	2 China		8		3		6		17
	3 Hungary		4		1		1		6
	4 Australia		4		0		5		9
	5 Russia		3		6		3		12
	6 Italy		3		4		2		9
	7 South Korea		3		2		1		6
	8 Japan		3		1		10		14
	9 France		2		3		1		6
	10 Thailand		2		1		1		4
	11 Great Britain		1		3		2		6
	12 Germany		1		2		0		3
	12 Sweden		1		2		0		3
	14 Brazil		1		1		0		2
	15 Chinese Taipei		1		0		2		3
	16 Belgium		1		0		1		2
	16 Greece		1		0		1		2
	16 Netherlands		1		0		1		2
	19 Argentina		1		0		0		1
	19 Colombia		1		0		0		1
	19 Croatia		1		0		0		1
	19 Kosovo		1		0		0		1
	19 Slovenia		1		0		0		1
	19 Vietnam		1		0		0		1
	25 Indonesia		0		2		0		2
	25 New Zealand		0		2		0		2
	25 North Korea		0		2		0		2
	25 South Africa		0		2		0		2
	29 Canada		0		1		4		5
	30 Kazakhstan		0		1		3		4
	31 Ukraine		0		1		1		2
	32 Azerbaijan		0		1		0		1
	32 Denmark		0		1		0		1
	32 Malaysia		0		1		0		1
	32 Mongolia		0		1		0		1
	32 Philippines		0		1		0		1
	32 Slovakia		0		1		0		1
	32 Turkey		0		1		0		1
	39 Uzbekistan		0		0		2		2
	40 Spain		0		0		1		1
	40 Georgia		0		0		1		1
	40 Israel		0		0		1		1
	40 Kyrgyzstan		0		0		1		1
	40 Poland		0		0		1		1
	40 Portugal		0		0		1		1
	40 Switzerland		0		0		1		1
	40 United Arab Emirates		0		0		1		1