Revival of Novices, Kenya Open and National League will soon return local boxing on track

For many years, Kenya produced some of the best boxers. However, the fire in local boxers began to die out and winning medals at regional and international championships became rare.

The organisation of the National Novices Boxing Championships by the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) two weeks ago was a step in the right direction.

At the event held at St Teresa’s Hall in Eastleigh, Nairobi, 13 boxers emerged National Novices champions. By giving the Novices a chance to fight for slots in the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, ABA has shown their intention of rejuvenating the sport. This gesture is also meant to keep boxers already in the contest for the two global events on toes.

ABA revived the National Boxing League that will kicked off last week in Kisumu’s Ofafa Hall and would move to Nairobi and Mombasa.

ABA chair Samson Mugacha, who took the organisation reins late last year with a view to improving the sport, said the league would play a major role in selecting boxers for national duty. Clubs such as the Armed Forces, Police, Administration Police, Coast, Nyanza, Central, Mumias and Box G should start preparing adequately for the league.

With rekindling of the Novices, Kenya Open and the National League, Kenya is definitely back on track and might soon produce boxers of Robert Wangila Napunyi, Absalom Okinyi and Patrick ‘Mont’ Waweru’s calibre.

ABA should aim at giving boxers adequate exposure ahead of Youth Olympics, Men’s Commonwealth Games and Women’s Africa Championships. Small teams like Mumias Boxing Club that struggled to appear for the Novices are worth ABA sponsorship as a way of promoting the sport in the grassroots.