Francis Mureithi
30 April 2011
Nairobi — The Nakuru Amateur Boxing Club is a mere shadow of its former self. Once popular and the pride of the Agricultural town, it has now dropped to alarming levels.
It has failed to send a single boxer into the final of the All Africa Games trials going on at the Madison Square Garden in Nakuru. The cash-strapped club could only raise a team of four in the competition: Patrick Maina (middle), Joseph Thiong’o (Light welter), Moses Noor (Bantam) and John Kariuki (lightweight).
Sadly, three of the boxers were eliminated in the preliminaries, save for Thiong’o who lost in the semi-finals.
Incidentally, their coach – Mwangi “Carlos” Muthee – has been appointed by the Amateur Boxing Association of Kenya as the head coach of the Maputo bound Kenya “Hit Squad.”
Worrying standards
“As members of the Nakuru Amateur Boxing Club, we want young and upcoming boxers to move to the next level by joining established clubs such as Armed Forces, Police and Prisons, but the rate at which they are losing is worrying us,” said an angry team member soon after Thiong’o was beaten 5-0 by Victor Onyango of Kenya Police in their light welterweight semi-final bout.
Thiong’o was expected to be the flag bearer of Nakuru in the finals but could not match the experienced policeman who clobbered him with angled punches.
“Our boys gave their best, but as a self supporting club, we are undergoing many challenges, including lack of allowances, and this has affected the morale of my boys,” said coach Mwangi.
In an explosive flyweight contest, Simon Mulinge of Kenya Defence Forces (Afaba) fired deadly arsenal on the head of Harrison Mathuku of Kenya Prisons who bled profusely.
Ring physician
Ring physician Frankline Omondi was forced to climb onto the ring thrice before terminating the contest on medical grounds in the third round to save Mathuku from further punishment.
Commonwealth Games Silver medalist Benson Njangiru Gicharu of Kenya Police was kept busy by a youthful Isaac Meja in another colourful flyweight contest which Gicharu easily won to cruise into the final.
Policeman Tobias Okeyo arrested Jacob Kimathi of Kenya Prisons with damaging hooks and only the last gong saved the warder from kissing the canvas as Okeyo rained blows on his head and face. He won via a unanimous points decision.
Kenya Prisons’ Joseph Njogu atoned for this defeat when ringed Musa Gitonga of Afaba with telling blows in their light welterweight clash, winning the contest on a majority points verdict.
Nairobi’s Matayo Keya kept alive his hope of making his maiden appearance in the “Hit Squad” when he reduced Eddy Ng’ang’a of Kenya Police into punching bag by winning the light flyweight bout 5-0.
AllAfrica – All the Time