Omondi continues to aim higher

Kenya Defence Forces welterweight boxer Fred Omondi. [Courtesy, Standard]

Welterweight sensation Fred Omondi of Kenya Defence Forces is a boxer with high ambitions in the fight for top honours.

And his ambitions are well measured and articulated and steadily designed to be achieved one after the other.

Omondi is a player who never loses hope easily despite the roadblocks put on his path where he overcomes one after the other.

That's how he did it and managed to beat all his opponents to be crowned the welterweight champion at the third leg of the National Boxing League in Vihiga last weekend.

Omondi defeated Joshua Onyango of Kisumu in the finals of the league championships in Vihiga after failing in his first two bids earlier this year.

It was not easy for him in the first and second legs of the league championships against different opponents in the same weight category in Nakuru and Mombasa, respectively.

"It has not been easy in this journey, but the first win in one of the legs of the league championships drives the impetus of my ability to do the same in the remaining legs and get selected into the national team for international assignments," Omondi said.

He admitted having had it tough against some refined opponents on his way to this first achievement.

"That victory is a great lesson to me to show me that anything is achievable with consistency and determination. It paves the way for conquering others that hadn't been achieved and defending what's in my cabinet," said Omondi, who's one of the emerging boxers in the KDF camp.

KDF team manager Ben Maingi said the boxer had really given his best to be crowned this time.

"To us, that's a great achievement and we can only encourage Omondi to keep the same pace and form towards other titles," added the team manager.

Some of the boxers who have given this soldier a run for his money are policeman Sam Ndiema, Juma Abdalla of Mombasa and Omondi's welterweight teammate Chris Murimi, besides other emerging opponents.

Ndiema defeated Omondi in the finals in Mombasa but this time round, the soldier won the title after Ndiema was beaten in the semi-finals by Onyango (Joshua) in Kisumu.

And Omondi dismissed the same Onyango in the finals in Vihiga.

KDF coach Blackmoses Mathenge has been giving all his boxers an equal opportunity to exhibit their talents, starting from the camp to the national front.

"All these boxers are given an equal opportunity during our residential camping and training sessions and equally during official assignments," Mathenge said.

And for now, Omondi must up his game in the remaining legs of the league championships if he's to catch the eyes of national team selectors