Boxing - Steve Kulenguluka: "I will give the DRC its first Olympic medal"

Sport News Africa: Steve Kulenguluka, the world has only just discovered you at the Mohammed VI Trophy, your first international competition, where you won a silver medal. Did you expect such a result in a tournament of that calibre?

Steve Kulenguluka: Boxing is a passion for me, I was born with it, but I simply never had the chance before to take part in the big competitions and show myself to the world. Now that has happened and I am very happy.

You missed the last African championships in Maputo in 2022 because you arrived late. Was that a big disappointment for you?

Yes, I had tears in my eyes watching the final. I was sure I would have beaten the two finalists of those last African championships. I promised myself I would beat the champion when I came across him, and I did it in Morocco at the Mohammed VI Trophy. I beat the African champion by referee stoppage in the second round, in front of his own crowd.

At the Mohammed VI Trophy there were very high-level boxers, including reigning Olympic champions. What does this silver medal mean to you?

It means a lot to me. Going to Morocco, my aim was to win the gold medal, even though the opponents were all better ranked than me. I am a fighter and I was ready for anything; I had confidence in myself and in my trainers. It wasn't easy but I gave everything. My determination made the fights easier. I knocked out an Italian. I have big ambitions. This medal is the first of a long series at international level.

You have big ambitions. In amateur boxing, the DRC has never won a medal at the world championships or at the Olympic Games. How far can you take your ambitions?

I am going to be the first sportsman to give the DRC an Olympic medal, as early as the Paris Games in 2024. I want to go down in the history of Congolese sport and be counted among the legends. Whatever the colour of the medal, I will win one in Paris in 2024.

Also read: DRC-Boxing-Marcelat Sakobi: "The lack of opponents at my level in the country is holding back my progress"

You have only one international competition to your name. How do you plan to go about reaching your goal, especially now that you are a known quantity?

First, it will come from the confidence I have in myself and in my coaches. Second, it is work: I will have to work very hard to reach this goal, because all the other opponents are training hard too. I hope the government does not neglect me, and does not neglect my fellow boxers in the national team. I hope it supports us the way it does the footballers, because we all defend the national colours. In fact, we boxers bring back much better results. I am convinced I will bring back a medal from Paris, but to do that, we will need serious preparation.

What difficulties do you face in the practice of boxing?

The difficulties are mostly financial. Before, I split my time between training and the odd job I was doing. Sometimes I couldn't afford the transport to get to training. It was tough, and at one point I gave up the job to focus on boxing. That is why I really need support, because the strength and the will, I have. After Morocco, the president of the federation took me under his wing so that I could have good conditions, but he can't do anything alone; government backing is needed.

Masiala Jonathan