Frank Nyangweso

Francis Were Nyangweso
Personal information
NationalityUgandan
Born(1939-09-29)29 September 1939
Busia, Uganda
Died15 February 2011(2011-02-15) (aged 71)
Kampala, Uganda
Sport
SportBoxing

Francis Were Nyangweso (29 September 1939 – 15 February 2011) was a Ugandan boxer.[1] He competed in the men's light middleweight event at the 1960 Summer Olympics.[2] He later went on to work in sports administration in Uganda,[3] as well as becoming a general in the Ugandan Army,[4] before being caught up in a bribery scandal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.[5][6]

Biography

Nyangweso was born in Busia, Uganda in 1939.[7] He was the captain of Uganda's national boxing team from 1955 to 1962.[1]

At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Nyangweso competed in the men's light middleweight event.[8] He lost in the second round of the competition to Wilbert McClure of the United States, with McClure going on to win the gold medal.[8] Despite his defeat at the Olympics, Nyangweso won the gold medal at the Hapoel Games in 1961,[7] and a bronze medal at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.[9]

In 1963, Nyangweso graduated from military school and became a general in the Ugandan Army.[1] Eight years later, Idi Amin appointed Nyangweso to the post of Army Commander and Chief of Staff.[1] Under Amin's dictatorship, Nyangweso was the acting Head of State for a short time in 1975 while Amin was on holiday.[1][9]

Nyangweso was the team manager for Uganda's boxing team at the 1968 Summer Olympics,[1] and Uganda's chef de mission for the 1972 Summer Olympics and the 1980 Summer Olympics.[1] He then moved up to be the Ugandan Boxing Federation's President for two spells from 1967 to 1972 and from 1979 to 1995.[1] Nyangweso was also the President of the African Boxing Confederation from 1974 to 1978.[1] After serving on the board of the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur from 1981 to 1986, Nyangweso served as their Vice-President from 1986 to 2006.[1] At Olympic level, Nyangweso was the Vice-President of the Association of National Olympic Committees from 1999 to 2001,[1] as well as the President of the Uganda Olympic Committee from 1971 to 2009.[1]

In 1999, Nyangweso was caught up in an Olympic bribery scandal,[9][10] but was later cleared following an investigation.[11][12] He died in February 2011 in Kampala, aged 71.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Frank Nyangweso". Olympedia. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Frank Nyangweso Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  3. ^ "Ugandan IOC member Nyangweso dies at 72". Taiwan News. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  4. ^ "TRIBUTE: Nyangweso is a real iron-man". New Vision. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Olympics scandal draws in Sydney". BBC News. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  6. ^ "OLYMPIC SCANDAL LOOMS IN AFRICA". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Nyangweso: Man of many stripes". Observer (Uganda). 17 February 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Light-Middleweight (≤71 kilograms), Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "IOC member Francis Nyangweso dies at age of 72". Inside the Games. 20 February 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Pressure mounts on IOC president". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Former Uganda Olympic chief dies". Sowetan Live. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Bribery Hearings Begin". Los Angeles Times. 24 January 1999. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Obituary: Major General Francis Nyangweso". The Global Herald. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2022.