Uganda’s national boxing team, the “Bombers,” returned quietly from the World Olympic Qualifiers in Busto Arsizio, Italy, nearly two weeks ago, after a campaign that ended without a single qualification ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
However, the team’s subdued return has been overshadowed by growing concern over the unexplained absence of team captain Joshua Tukamuhebwa, who has yet to return to Uganda and whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Tukamuhebwa had been Uganda’s standout performer at the qualifiers, competing in the men’s 63kg category.
He opened his campaign with a convincing win over Guatemala’s Garcia Edgar, followed by a hard-fought split-decision victory over Romania’s Robert Jitaru.
His run came to an end in the round of 16 after a loss to Jordan’s Obada Alkasbeh, but he remained Uganda’s brightest hope at the tournament.
Since the team’s return, questions have persisted about why the captain did not travel back with the rest of the delegation.
Alleged Incident and Tukamuhebwa’s Disciplinary Action
Officials from the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF), when contacted, stated that the federation was not in charge of the team or the trip, instead attributing responsibility to the National Council of Sports (NCS) and the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC). They declined to comment further on the matter.
However, information obtained from sources close to the team suggests that Tukamuhebwa left the camp under controversial circumstances following an incident at the athletes’ accommodation.
According to multiple sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, Tukamuhebwa was allegedly involved in a sexual encounter with another man in one of the rooms after his bout on March 10.
A crisis meeting was reportedly held with team officials and boxers.
During that meeting, Tukamuhebwa was allegedly stripped of the team captaincy, informed of impending disciplinary action upon his return to Uganda, and told to forfeit his national team status. Sources further claim that his passport was confiscated and that he was confined to his room that night.
The following morning, when the rest of the team went out to watch scheduled bouts, Tukamuhebwa is said to have taken advantage of the situation and fled.
A Promising Career in Limbo
Tukamuhebwa has been one of Uganda’s most active and promising boxers in recent years, amassing 10 international fights across five major events since the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July 2022.
His performance at the World Olympic Qualifiers was seen as one of his career highlights, despite not qualifying for the Olympics.
As of now, neither the National Council of Sports nor the Uganda Olympic Committee has issued an official statement on the matter, and efforts to establish Tukamuhebwa’s whereabouts continue.
