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Upon realizing that Ssenyange didn't have a coach, they went for a workout together, and their energies merged. Kumar, who has a southpaw fighter, was able to teach Ssenyange some techniques, given that he is also left-handed.
Isaac Zebra Ssenyange Jr, the only Ugandan boxer at the 2023 IBA World Boxing Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, may have fallen at the second hurdle, but his volunteer coach, Sujit Kumar, believes he could become an African champion soon.
Kumar, who is also the Nepal national team coach, met Ssenyange on the plane from Dubai to Tashkent.
Upon realizing that Ssenyange didn't have a coach, they went for a workout together, and their energies merged. Kumar, who has a southpaw fighter, was able to teach Ssenyange some techniques, given that he is also left-handed.
According to Kumar, Ssenyange is a smart and strong fighter who has the potential to improve his long combinations and footwork. He also needs to work on his defence, better head movement, and footwork.
Despite this, Kumar is confident that Ssenyange will become a champion on his continent, turn professional in the future, and believes his mother, who is also a boxing coach, will protect him as much as any coach would.
“I see him becoming a champion on his continent. He definitely has potential,” Kumar told Daily Monitor.
“A lot of support from his federation will be fuel to fire and everything else Zebra is going to figure out himself. He knows what he is doing and he knows his goals. He knows what he wants to become.”
He behaves like a mature person, like a 30-year-old. He is very humble, very respectful, always willing to learn and grow. And he is in the sport for life,” Kumar said.
“We about all these things and I hope he is taking them in. He also has a coach in the UK who is helping him.”
So that’s good. I believe his mother is also a boxing coach and nobody wants to protect their child as much as a mother would.”
For Ssenyange, working with Kumar was a valuable experience. “Coach Sujit was able to analyse my style and found ways of making me perform even better.”
“But mostly, our synchronization in the ring, where I was able to follow his pointers while fighting,” he said.
Ssenyange may not have achieved his goal of winning the tournament, but he gained something much more valuable - a friend and mentor who believed in him and saw his potential.
With Kumar's guidance and support, Ssenyange could go on to achieve great things in the world of boxing.
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