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Alex Andrew Nyakana

Alex Andrew “dru” Nyakana is a former Ugandan boxer. He competed for his country at the 2007 AIBA world championships in Chicago, USA, where he also made his international debut. He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he was a member of their National Championships’ Team as a Bantamweight. Nyakana never pursued professional boxing.

By the time Nyakana made the University Team, he had already excelled at different sports categories. For instance, in high school, Nyakana was an elite athlete both at district, regional as well as State level in the State of Virginia. He competed in Soccer, Basketball and Track & Field. Later, he played soccer at Bluefield College, before relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

In 2006 the late Uganda National Boxing coach, Musa Kent, made a proposition to Nyakana to consider boxing for his native country of Uganda. Nyakana would later welcome the offer, and on November 3rd, 2007, he made his international debut at the AIBA world boxing championship in Chicago. The event was a 2008 Beijing Olympic qualifier. Competing in the 54-kilogram category, Nyakana was matched against the second ranked fighter in the world, Ishankuliyev Allaberdy of Turkmenistan whom he lost to on points[1].

Early Life

Alex Andrew Nyakana was born to the late Gilbert Nyakana (father) and Teddy Kintu Nakidde (mother) in Uganda. He attended Alpha primary school and St. Lawrence. One evening while Nyakana was taking an evening walk with his Stepfather in the neighbourhood, they met Lillian Riddick, a neighbour at the time. Lillian Riddick was a visiting nurse from Suffolk, Virginia, who at the time was contracted to work for the church of Uganda.

During that brief introduction, to date, Nyakana believes that his Stepfather might have felt that Lillian could use some neighbourhood interaction and occasional help around her property, seeing that she was an older lady living alone in a foreign land. So, he asked her if it was ok for Nyakana to occasionally stop by and check on her. Lillian agreed.

The bond between Nyakana and Lillian grew quickly, possibly because Nyakana fell into the age category for Ms. Riddick’s grandchildren back in the U.S., she would later ask him to refer to her as “Granny”. Realising his potential for growth and perhaps becoming a productive member of society someday, Lillian helped the young man relocate to the United States in the Summer of 1995.

While in the US, Nyakana attended Alleghany High School in Covington, Bluefield College and The University to Nevada, Las Vegas. At Alleghany High School high school, Nyakana excelled both at region and State level in basketball and soccer. He relocated to Las Vegas where he graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Career

Nyakana, participating in the National Collegiate Boxing Association Western Regional where he lost a referee-stopped contest to Jesse Horton[2]. In 2007, Nyakana was scheduled to participate in the National Collegiate Boxing Association national championship in Reno but suffered an injury[3].

Having learned of Nyakana’s ability as a sportsman, coach Musa Kent, then a Uganda National Boxing Team Coach travelled to the US in 2006 to make a proposal to Nyakana. Kent wanted Nyakana to consider boxing for the Bombers boxing team and to represent Uganda. Reluctant to accept at first, Nyakana later welcomed the opportunity to represent his country of birth and officially joined the talented Bombers Team.

Coach Kent would closely monitor Nyakana’s progress whenever he visited the U.S. and when Nyakana visited Uganda, Coach Kent would summon Nyakana to travel to Bombo Military Barracks where he was based so that he would personally give Nyakana coaching sessions, as well as access the fighter’s readiness for national duty. In 2007, a group of four Ugandan boxers from the Bombers boxing team flew to the US to participate in the AIBA world boxing championship in Chicago. Nyakana joined them and became the fifth boxer.

Nyakana was a special case. He had no prior national Team pedigree, and this was his debut at the AIBA world boxing championships. He broke the boxing stereotype that to fight at such a big stage, one needed to have an extensive amateur pedigree. Nyakana was matched against Ishankuliyev Allaberdy of Turkmenistan whom at the time, he was the second ranked fighter in the world. Compliment to Nyakana’s incredible physical conditioning and mental toughness, he was able to engage his world ranked opponent to a full distance of the contest; in a tournament that saw fighters fail to hear the final bell. He lost to Allaberdy on points in the bantamweight first preliminaries.

Although he continues to work with young upcoming fighters, Nyakana never pursued professional boxing after 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships. Rather he chose to focus on independent ventures in Real Estate, an African Safari Company (Riddick Safaris) and Charity Organization in Uganda working to provide young children with basic needs. He has maintained his residence in Las Vegas, Nevada for the past 20 years.

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/score/nyakana-picked-charity-over-boxing-1823526