🇬🇭 Countdown to the African Games in Accra, Ghana, March 8-23
REFS, JUDGES IN LAGOS BLASTED
Six countries win gold medals for the first time in the 1973 African Games
Six countries won gold medals for the first time as biased officiating yet again reared its ugly head at the 1973 African Games boxing tournament in Lagos, Nigeria.
Zambia, Sudan, Guinea, Algeria, Uganda and Nigeria won gold medals for the first time in the second edition of the African Games in 1973.
One of Zambia’s most successful boxers in the 70s Tim Feruka won his country’s first gold outpointing Kenya’s Isaac Maina in the flyweight final bout.
Sudan’s relatively unknown lightweight Ibrahim Abdullamin inscribed his name in the record books winning gold when he outpointed favourite Peter Odhiambo of Uganda with Guinea’s Barry Bella Sadio scoring an upset victory over Ghana’s 1970 Commonwealth welterweight champion Flash Emma Ankudey.
Algeria’s prominent boxer at the time, Loucif Hammani, a quarter finalist at the 1972 Munich Olympics, was not to be left out as he outpointed Uganda’s Abdullah Abuka in the light-middleweight final.
Nigeria’s history-makers were light-welterweight Obisia Nwankpa who defeated Niger’s 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medallist Issake Dabore, Olympic light-heavyweight bronze medallist Isaac Ikhuoria and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Fatai Ayinla. Ikhuoria outpointed Uganda’s Mathias Ouma and Ayinla beat Sudan’s Mohamed Mahom.
Uganda’s Commonwealth Games and Africa light-flyweight champion, James Odwori, won his country’s first African Games gold medal when he stopped Ghana’s Young Chucks in the first round with bantamweight Dan Omolo winning the second gold by beating Tanzania’s Habibu Kinyogoli in an all-East African affair.
A number of countries including Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania bitterly complained on what they felt was questionable officiating by the referees and judges.
The issue was so serious that before the finals, the organisers met the referees and judges to caution them on the importance of impartiality in discharging their duties.
A Tanzanian official accused the judges of being anti-East African.
Kenya’s chef de mission Cromwell Mkungusi was so annoyed that he decided to write to the international body, AIBA, to officially express his disappointment on the poor officiating in Lagos.
Mkungusi, who was also the president of the Amateur Boxing Association of Kenya (ABA), said three Kenyan boxers, Africa bantamweight champion John Nderu, Africa welterweight champion. Dick “Tiger” Murunga and East and Central Africa bantamweight champion Isaac Maina were victims of biased officiating.
Commenting on Murunga’s defeat to Nigeria’s Joe Mensah, Mkungusi said:”I don’t know how Murunga was the judged the loser, he was the winner all the way.”
Mkungusi was equally surprised at the referees decision to stop Nderu’s bout against Nigeria’s John Ugwu in the third round and declare the Nigerian the winner by TKO. Yet, according to Mkungusi, nothing happened to warrant the stoppage because Nderu was in charge of the fight.
The ABA of Kenya boss also wondered how Maina lost his flyweight final bout to Zambia’s Tim Feruka since he dominated the Zambian.
“Boxing has become a farce. In Munich, our boxer Philip Waruinge was robbed of a gold medal he won clean. And now in Lagos, Nderu, Murunga and Maina should never have lost,” said Mkungusi.
Uganda’s most successful coach Grace Seruwagi was speechless after the light-heavyweight final between his boxer Mathias Ouma and Nigeria’s Isaac Ikhuoria. Ouma was reportedly in the driver’s seat and deserved to win.
“You all saw what happened, I have nothing more to add,” said a disappointed Seruwagi.
Kenya’s captain David Attan was unlucky in Lagos. The injury to his right fist recurred, forcing him to rely on his left punch only in his loss to Uganda’s Abdallah Abuka. Heavyweight Fred Sabat was beaten fair and square by Nigeria’s Fatai Ayinla. In addition to Sabat, Attan, Nderu and Murunga, other Kenyan boxers who returned home empty-handed were light-welterweight Alex Omwomo and light-heavyweight Zack Amalemba.
Uganda’s Olympic flyweight bronze and silver medallist Leo Rwabogo was among the prominent boxers who suffered shocking defeats, losing on points to Lah Ratavi of Madagascar.
📸Photo courtesy: Barry Bella Sadio, one of Guinea’s prominent boxers in the 70s, won the country’s first African Games gold medal in 1973 in Lagos, outpointing Ghana’s 1970 Commonwealth Games welterweight champion.
✍🏼 AFBC Communications