RWANDA Amateur Boxing Association (Raba) is mourning the death of their president Antoine Semukanya. He died of heart attack on the way to King Faycal hospital on Saturday.

According to sources, Semukanya, who was also the deputy Executive Secretary of the National AIDS Control Commission (CNLS) collapsed after taking part in a tennis training match at Nyarutarama tennis club.

RABA Technical Director Gashugi Kananura told Times Sport yesterday, "He took a bottle of soda and later complained of chest pain and was immediately rushed to King Faycal hospital but died on way.”

"It’s a sad moment for the boxing fraternity,” said Gashugi, adding that his boss used to have high blood pressure complications.

The boxing federation Secretary General Eugene Ndashyikirwa said, "He was a sportsman and he had many roles to accomplish. We expected a lot from him and he will be deeply missed.”

According to Ndashyikirwa said, vice president Diogene Cyatwa will be acting as RABA’s interim president until the time general elections will be held.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports and Culture Jean Pierre Karabaranga said that Semukanya’s death came as a shock to everyone.

"It is a sad moment for his family, boxing federation as well as the sports movement of Rwanda. He is a person, who was involved in sports all his life and died doing sports.

"It was an unfortunate death. We should all come together to support his children and maintain his legacy,” Karabaranga said

Apart from promoting the boxing federation and development of teenager boxers such as Matusi Haziza, Peter Habyarimana and Olivier Shingiro who will be taking part in this year’s Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, Semukanya has been pivotal in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Semukanya assumed the presidency of Rwanda boxing federation in 2008. He will be laid to rest tomorrow (Wednesday) at Remera public cemetery.

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