Uganda’s super-heavy weight boxer Mike Ssekabembe will settle for Commonwealth bronze after he missed his semi-final action with England’s Joyce Joseph at the Scotland Excellence and Conference Center (SECC) on Friday afternoon.
After he impressively humbled Ghanaian Sulemanu Tetteh with a unanimous decision in the quarterfinal this week, UPDF seargent could not take the ring after tournament doctor said the 36-year-old was not in perfect shape for action.
“Tournament doctor tells Ugandan boxer Michael Ssekabembe he can’t fight. He says the boxer is injured. Ssekabembe says he is healthy,” read a message from the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) twitter handle on Friday.
Later in the evening, another Ugandan Fazil Juma took the ring at SECC but was stunned by Northern Ireland’s Paddy Barnes in the 46-49 light/fly weight semi-final.
All judges scored in favour of the Belfast boxer, winning with a unanimous decision of scores 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27. Nonetheless, Juma will take a bronze, taking Uganda’s tally to five medals in Glasgow.
Meanwhile, Barnes believes the sport’s world governing body will vote to bring back headguards after a Commonwealth Games marred by a series of high-profile cuts.
Earlier in the day, he watched his friend Michael Conlan scrape through against Welshman Sean McGoldrick on a technical decision after sustaining a bad cut over his right eye from an accidental headbutt.
And Northern Ireland lightweight Joe Fitzpatrick also required treatment to a gash beneath his left eye after a straightforward win over Michael Alexander of Trinidad.
Barnes said: “I think headguards will be back. It’s great to see them off because it’s better to watch, but it’s impossible to fight so many times in so few days without headguards on – it’s ridiculous.”
Twelve home nations boxers will fight for a gold medal in Saturday’s finals.
England will have six shots at gold when the boxing moves to the 11,000 capacity Hydro Arena, Northern Ireland four and Scotland two. Five Welsh boxers lost at the semi-finals stage.