Kenya lift East African Boxing Championship title

Nick Okoth in 60KG Light Weight category fight at Charter Hall during a three days Jamal Cup tournament ahead of the Africa Boxing Championships. Nov 20, 2021. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Eight Kenyan boxers won their final bouts to lift the East African Club Boxing Championships at Manyara Social Hall in Kinondoni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania over the weekend.

Kenya was represented by league champions Kenya Police and Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK)-select side in the three-day competition that was graced by two countries; hosts Tanzania and Kenya.

Earlier, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia and Botswana were expected to participate in the tournament but withdrew at the last minute. .

The Kenyan victories were led by the 2015 African Boxing championships lightweight gold medallist Nick Okoth who defeated compatriot George Wanaina on abandonment before Samuel Njau picked a unanimous points’ decision against Mussa Abubakar of Tanzania in the featherweight (57kgs).

“The tournament will help us prepare our boxers prepare for future international championships,” the national deputy head coach David Munuhe had said before they went Dar es Salaam.

In another featherweight fight, Rajabu Haji of Tanzania lost to Isaac Meja of Kenya on disqualification.

In earlier bouts, national flyweight champion David Karanja bagged Kenya’s first victory when he outpointed Justine Mohamed of Tanzania in the 49kg fight.

In the bantamweight (54kg), policeman Shaffi Hassan Bakari cruised to victory against his Kenyan compatriot Moses Kilavuka on points.