It’s been nearly two weeks since Uganda’s national boxing team, the Bombers, quietly
returned from the World Olympic Qualifiers held in Busto Arsizio, Italy – a campaign that ended in disappointment as none of the boxers secured a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
But while the team’s return went unnoticed by many, what’s more striking is the absence of team captain Joshua Tukamuhebwa, who has yet to return to Uganda – and whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Tukamuhebwa had been Uganda’s brightest hope in the qualifiers. Competing in the men’s 63kg category, he started off in fine form, defeating Guatemala’s Garcia Edgar in 1 the preliminary round. He then overcame Romania’s Robert Jitaru via split decision, only to fallin the round of 16 to Jordan’s Obada Alkasbeh.
However, the promising campaign has been overshadowed by scandal. Uganda Boxing Federation ((UBF) officials have declined to comment on why Tukamuhebwa did not travel back with the team. But credible information gathered by this website indicates that the boxer fled the team camp after a controversial incident involving a sexual encounter in the athletes’ accommodation.
Sources close to the team alege that after his bout on March 10, Tukamnuhebwa was caught by a coach engaging in a sexual act with another man in one of the rooms a situation that reportedly turned physical.
The coach caught them red-handed. He was furious, took photos and even slapped him,” said a team member who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter
According to the source, a crisis meeting was immediately convened with team officials and boxers in attendance. Tukamuhebwa was stripped of, the captaincy, made aware of heavy disciplinary action upon return to Uganda, and told to relinquish his national team status.
That night, he was reportedly confined to his room with his passport confiscated. But by the next morning, when the rest of the team had gone to watch boxing matches, Tukamuhebwa allegedly seized the opportunity and fled.
An official who also requested anonymity revealed that the man found in the room with Tukamuhebwa was not part of the team, raising further questions about how he gained access.
If his disappearance becomes permanent, it will be a significantloss for Ugandan boxing. Tukamuhebwa, who debuted at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, has since amassed valuable experience
featuring in 10 bouts across five international competitions,
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