When Théoneste Gakunzi first walked into a boxing club at Amahoro Stadium as a teenager, he was not thinking about national championships, international medals or becoming captain of Rwanda’s national team.

He simply wanted to learn how to defend himself.

Born on August 5, 1988, in Ngororero District, Gakunzi grew up as the third of four children. Like many of his peers, he initially preferred football, but frequent fights at school pushed him towards martial arts.

"I wanted to defend myself,” he recalls.

That search for self-defence introduced him to boxing around 2000. At the gym, he discovered that the sport was about much more than fighting.

"You can't fight in the street. You fight at the gym or in competition. Boxing taught me to be responsible and to defend yourself when it really matters,” he says.

Inspired by boxing legends Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis, Gakunzi began competing for Lemans and Remera Boxing Club before earning a place on Rwanda’s national team in 2006.

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His first international competition was the Zone V tournament in Nairobi, Kenya, where he won bronze in the 64kg category. That same year, he won national championship gold in both the 64kg and 69kg categories and added bronze at the East African Army Boxing Competition in Kigali.

Gakunzi went on to become a five-time national champion and compete in several international tournaments. One of his career highlights came at the 2011 African Games in Maputo, Mozambique, where he finished runner-up.

"I loved all the African Games that took place in Mozambique. I was happy with that competition. It was a very good competition and I did well,” he says.

He also remembers stopping Mustapha Mpakaniye with a left hook in the second round of a 2010 CNLS-sponsored tournament at Amahoro Stadium.

Eventually, Gakunzi became captain of Rwanda’s national team.

"Being captain of the national team is something that I still remember. We played competitions that helped us gain more experience and put the name of the country on the international boxing map,” he says.

Boxing beyond the ring

For Gakunzi, boxing offered more than medals. It taught him discipline, helped him build relationships and supported his education.

He says the income he earned through boxing helped pay his university fees in 2015.

"All the study fees I received were from boxing,” he says.

However, his career also exposed him to the financial challenges facing athletes. He says boxers need proper nutrition, equipment, coaching, recovery and regular competition, all of which require investment.

"A boxer needs to eat well, relax and have a coach. He needs training and more competition. All of this requires financial backing,” he says.

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Gakunzi stepped away from competitive boxing around 2014, partly because of other responsibilities, including his education. But he remained involved in the sport.

From boxer to coach

After retiring, Gakunzi completed an International Boxing Association (AIBA) coaching course and began working as a trainer. He also became a referee with the Rwanda Boxing Federation.

"After retirement, my dream was to become a coach. I did what I could,” he says.

Today, he works as a boxing coach and hopes to establish his own gym and boxing club to train and mentor young athletes.

His ambition is driven by a desire to help young Rwandans develop their skills and discipline while creating opportunities he believes can take them to the professional level.

Building the next generation

Gakunzi believes Rwanda has talented young boxers but needs greater investment in the sport.

He calls for better facilities, equipment, transport and financial support, while urging the private sector to play a bigger role.

"First of all, we need boxing supporters. We need equipment and places to train. We need support for children, including transportation. There are so many things that are needed,” he says.

"We have a young generation of boxers. If we support them and help them, they can become good professional boxers. But the issue of finance is still there.”

Gakunzi once dreamed of reaching the highest level of professional boxing, inspired by Tyson and Lewis. That dream was never realised.

"I wanted to play at a very high level like Tyson Fury and Lennox Lewis. I didn't reach that dream because of circumstances in life. But I don't blame myself,” he says.

Instead, he has redirected his ambition towards the next generation.

His message to young boxers is simple: be patient.

More than two decades after entering a boxing gym to learn self-defence, Gakunzi has become a five-time national champion, international medallist and former national-team captain.

Now, his fight is different.

He is no longer trying to win bouts. He is helping Rwanda produce the boxers who can.