Perfect chance for Okwiri to achieve his dreams

Kenya's Rayton Okwiri in a recent bout with Meshack Mwankemwa of Tanzania at Charter Hall, Nairobi. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

As the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Africa middleweight champion Rayton Okwiri gets ready for a World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight title fight on Sunday, he knows this is a perfect chance for him to achieve his dream of lifting a world title.

Until he wins the fight, he will not have achieved his cherished ambition.

Okwiri will be fighting Kenneth Lukyamuzi of Uganda for the vacant (WBA super middleweight) title in Port Louis, Mauritius having dreamt of a world title fight for a number of years before he hangs his gloves.

“It’s my dream to have a global title fight before I call it a day having ruled the local scene and the region in the pro-boxing in my weight,” Okwiri told Standard Sports when he was the Africa Boxing Union super middleweight champion before he was snatched the title by World Boxing Council for participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

And for that, Okwiri had to work round the clock to make a formidable comeback to win the WBF-Africa middleweight title after overcoming Chikodi Makawa of Malawi on a unanimous points decision at Nyayo National Stadium in September last year.

Since then, Okwiri who works for Kenya Prisons Service has always focused on the cherished ambition that has come to pass and it’s upon him now to bring the title back home.

Speaking before he took a flight to Port Louis on Wednesday, the professional boxer said he was in good shape and spirits and was not ready to disappoint his fans.

“I’m in perfect shape and my training has been superb under my coaches for the weeks we have been training together. Now, it is my chance to do what I have dreamt of over the years,” said Okwiri.

Four coaches led by former international pugilist Daniel Shisia have been preparing Okwiri for the epic task.

Both boxers have never met in any professional fight in the past.

Since he joined the paid ranks on February 4,2017, Okwiri has had nine fights winning seven (with six knockouts), a loss and a draw with the last fight being against Emmany Kalombo of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on June 30,2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

On his part, Lukyamuzi has fought 15 times winning six, losing eight and a draw (6-8-1) with the last fight pitting him against compatriot Kamala Ntege in Kampala, Uganda in October last year, which he won.

The match comes barely a few months after Okwiri defeated Limbani Chikapa of Malawi in a four round non-title fight at Boxing and Jammin III in Moka, in the same city of Port Louis in Mauritius.