It’s all systems go as 19 teams head to Busia for the second leg of the Boxing Association of Kenya (BAK) National League.
The BAK National League punched-off on the weekend of May 9-11 at Nakuru’s Madison Square Garden in May preceded by National Novices in Nairobi, Intermediates in Thika and the Kenya Open Boxing Championships which attracted leading boxers including reigning ladies Commonwealth Gaines bronze medalist Christine Ongare, international Shaffi Bakari and Lorna Kusa also a national team boxer.
Busia’s leg will be held at the Kenya Medical Training College from 13th -15 June.
Like the opener in Nakuru, this week’s event has also attracted leading boxers including Vihiga County who recently hosted a tournament earlier in the month.
BAK Interim Secretary Isaac Mbote sounded quite enthusiastic of the boxers preparedness headed for Busia.
“The boxers are getting better and better by event. We have witnessed tremendous progress and indeed significant improvement from county teams and we can only hope for the best in Busia,” Mbote said.
The idea of BAK events traversing all parts of the county is part of the noble “Ndondi Mashinani” initiate being used to spread the Association tentacles across the county.
“Ndondi Mashinani is geared towards regaining Kenya’s lost glory by creating an enabling environment for county teams to realsise their potential in boxing.Standards have been set and only the sky’s the limit. The bouts will feature male and women boxers,” added Mbote.
Perennial League Champions Kenya Police “Chafua Chafua” have lined up a star-studded squad comprising of Kenya Open champion Cosby Ouma (middle), welterweight Boniface Mugunde, Martin Maina in light-flyweight, Shaffi in flyweight and Martin Oduor in Bantamweight. Shaffi has since moved a berth up to flyweight division after International Olympic Committee (IOC) dropped his specialty. IOC axed his light-flyweight (49kg) and lightweight (60kg) from Olympics weight program. This, he said, is a deliberate move to safeguard his Olympics aspirations ahead of the 2020 Games in Japan.
Ethan Maina will also box for the Nairobi based law enforcers in lightweight division with international Elly Ajowi hoping for the best in heavyweight.
Trans Nzoia will be represented by among others their leading bantamweight boxer Victor Wangila.
Thika has its usual suspects in Duncan Kamau (fly) and Ken Ogutu in light heavyweight division.
Police’s Humprey Ochieng aka ‘Jakababa’ will be seeking to avenge the two defeats he has suffered thus far at the hands of Nairobi hard-hitter Joseph Onyango. Onyago, one of the rising stars from the ‘Ndondi Mashinani’ Initiative, has outpuched Jakababa twice in the Kenya Open and the League in Nakuru, and it will be interesting to ascertain just what’s up their sleeves in Busia- thrills and spills are guaranteed.
