Tanzania’s Lucas Changalawe impresses as five African boxers move on, ten are bundled out

Tanzania’s Lucas Changalawe was the most impressive winner among the five African boxers who won their fights in the round of 64 on the second day of the World Olympic Qualifiers in Busto Arsizio, Italy, on Monday (March 4).

Changalawe was in a ruthless mood, twice knocking down Venezuela’s Diego Pereira in the first round before referee Peter Olanda from Sweden waved it off in one minute 36 seconds of the first round.

Changalawe, the Commonwealth Games and Africa Championships bronze medallist, is now through to the round of 32 and will meet Norway’s Mindaugas Gedminas on Friday, (March 8).

After the referee Olander lifted his hand to declare him the winner, Changalawe knelt down in prayer on the canvas asking the Almighty to give him more strength in the heavy burden he’s carrying of being the sole representative of over 50 million Tanzanians.

“I’m happy I won my fight, I realized he wanted me to play his game but I was ahead of him and released my power punches to stop him,”
Changalawe told AFBC Communications.

An elated coach Mohammed Bakari was happy Changalawe followed his instructions.

“I told him don’t let your opponent recover, hit him hard to keep him dazed or knock him out,” said Bakari.

In addition to Changalawe, the other four African winners on Monday were Togo’s light-heavyweight Prewa Pawabadi who beat Carlos Gongora of Ecuador 5-0, Namibia’s featherweight Tryagain Ndevelo 5-0 winner over Turkey’s Batuhan Ciftci, Morocco’s Africa featherweight champion Soulaimane Samghouli 5-0 winner against Britain’s Farid Walidazeh and Tunisia’s Islem Ferchichi outpointing Finland’s Emma Jokiaho by a unanimous decision.

Africa’s 10 losers were Algeria’s twice Africa Championships bantamweight silver medallist Fatma Zohra beaten 4-1 by Zeynab Zahimova of Azerbaijan, Ethiopia’s Yadesa Leta lost 5-0 to Makhmud Sabyrkhan of Kazakhstan, Togo’s Coleti Yetongnom lost on points to Puerto Rico’s Angelyris Lopez, Uganda’s light-heavyweight Yusuf Nkobeza went down on points to Romania’s Paul Aradoaie whilst Algeria’s featherweight Hichem Maouche lost 5-0 to Irish Commonwealth Games champion Jude Gallager.

Others were Algeria’s Olympian light-heavyweight Mohamed Houmri who lost 5-0 to Poland’s Rafal Percynski, Ethiopia’s light-heavy Seyfe Kebede lost 5-0 to Petar Marcic, Namibia’s light-heavyweight Gebhard Ipinge went down 5-0 to Yojerlin Cesar from France, Morocco’s light-heavyweight Mohamed Assaghir was KO’d in round one by Austria’s Lucky Aimufua Osare and Senegal’s Seydina Konate was stopped in round one by Mexico’s Hector Aguirre.

Credit: AFBC Communications