Split decision ends Zawadi's medal bid in Glasgow Games
Tanzania’s amateur featherweight boxer Zawadi Kutaka poses during a past bout. Kutaka’s Commonwealth Games campaign ended in the quarter-finals after she lost to Lesotho’s Rapelang Maselela via a split decision. PHOTO | FILE
Zawadi’s performance highlighted Tanzania’s growing competitiveness despite missing out on a boxing medal
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's medal hopes in boxing at the 2026 Commonwealth Games suffered a setback after national team boxer Zawadi Kutaka bowed out in the quarter-finals following a hard-fought split-decision defeat to Rapelang Maselela of Lesotho in Glasgow, Scotland.
The Tanzania boxer lost the closely contested bout 4-1 on a split decision, ending Tanzania's campaign in the boxing quarter-finals despite producing one of his strongest performances of the tournament.
Zawadi made a slow start, losing the opening round by a 4-1 judges' score. However, he responded impressively in the second round, dominating his opponent and earning a unanimous 5-0 verdict to level the contest heading into the decisive final round. The Tanzanian appeared to have gained momentum and looked on course to edge the contest before the fight took a dramatic turn. A powerful right-hand punch from Maselela forced Zawadi into a count, an incident that proved decisive as the judges eventually awarded victory to the Lesotho boxer.
Although the defeat denied Tanzania a place in the semi-finals and ended Zawadi's medal aspirations, his performance drew praise for its resilience and determination against one of the competition's strongest contenders.
The boxing competition continues on Friday with the semi-finals before concluding with the finals on Saturday.
Zawadi's exit leaves Tanzania without a boxing medal, but the performance underlined the progress the country's boxers continue to make at major international competitions. Coming back from a first-round deficit to dominate the second round demonstrated both tactical awareness and physical conditioning.
The bout was ultimately decided by a single moment in the final round rather than a one-sided display, highlighting how small margins often separate victory from defeat at elite level.
For Tanzania, the performance also reinforces the need for sustained investment in elite boxing, including increased international exposure and regular competition against high-ranking opponents.
Such experience can help boxers manage crucial moments in tightly contested bouts where a single punch or tactical lapse can determine the outcome.
The event have provided another important platform for Tanzania's athletes to test themselves against some of the Commonwealth's strongest sporting nations. Tanzania is represented across several disciplines, with boxing.
