Shafik Kiwanuka also known as “The Killing Machine” is a Bachelor of Business Administration year 2 student at IUEA. He started off as an amateur boxer and has morphed into a professional in the shortest of time while with us. He now wears many titles on his shoulders, the most common being the World Boxing Federation heavyweight champion of Africa at the age of only 25.
After two years of redundancy due to the pandemic that paralysed and greatly slowed down activity in the sporting fraternity, Shafik was set to return to the ring in an untitled fight scheduled to take place in Dar es Salam Tanzania against South African heavyweight champion Chris Thompson “The wolf” from South Africa. We did worry about his fitness having dwindled owing to the fact that he had not actively been participated in the sport and had also fallen a few pounds less than his opponent in weight. As if adding insult to injury, the request was placed only 20 days to the D-day. Nonetheless, the 6-foot tall fighter surprised fans after a spectacular fight that led to 3 wins and 4 draws.
“It was not an easy fight and I came short of the victory and that pained me a lot. I am going back to training to add more skill, weight and sharpen my swords. I will slice him into pieces.”
– Shafik Kiwanuka
To celebrate Shafiks success, we held a small ceremony that was graced by the presence of the Mayor of Kampala Central Mr Salim Uhuru Nsubuga, IUEAs Resident Director Mr Hassan Alwi, Coach Abdu Tebazalwa, WBF treasurer Maureen Mulangira, boxers’ representative Hussain Babu and the press. The heavyweight boxer was celebrated with a cash prize from Mr Salim Uhuru Nsubuga who is also the President of the Uganda Boxing Association.
Shafik is one of the many students who have benefited from the IUEA sports scholarship scheme and we pledge to keep guiding and supporting him through his career and academics.
“We have realised the value of incorporating sport along the study lines and we are looking to expand and raise the state of the art facilities for more sporting activities such as Athletes, tennis, cricket and many more”
– Hassan Alwi Resident Director IUEA
