BOXING WARNING SHOTS: Ramogi sends word to Kinoti before super heavyweight showdown

Kimathi Kinoti (in red) from the Kenya Police ABC trade punches with Victor Ombok (in blue) from KDF ABC in their super heavy weight category semi finals during the Sportpesa Boxing Kenya National League First Leg at the Modern Fitness Boxing Lounge in Mombasa, April 15, 2016. Ombok won the bout 3-0. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

“Take time to heal from the pain I inflicted on you in Machakos because I believe you have not recovered from that injury.”

Those were the words of Kenya Defence Forces super heavyweight boxer Fred Ramogi to Kenya Police arch rival Kimathi Kinoti whom he will face in the finals of the same weight of the National Boxing League at Nyayo Gardens in Nakuru this afternoon.

However, Kinoti hit back: “Ramogi won the match by virtue of unfair officiating when he hit me on the wrong side after the bell and the referee failed to penalise him. Anyway I’m ready for the duel”.

The two boxers qualified for the finals by virtue of lacking opponents right from preliminaries and marched to the finals.

“Lack of opponents has made us lack exposure and that means we will be vulnerable in case we play international matches,” said Kinoti.

Kinoti and Ramogi have seen their teams exchange the national title among themselves for the last decade with Police taking it eight times and are poised to retain it after most of their boxers qualified for semi-finals yesterday.

Police placed seven boxers in the semi-finals while KDF managed five.

KDF team Manager Ben Maingi said their poor performance is because of fielding inexperienced players against polished players but they would soon catch up with the rest in the tournament.

“We are injecting new blood into the team but they would soon catch up with the rest. For example, we failed to field light flyweight boxer Simon Mulinge because of work commitments,” he told Feverpitch after Mustafa Ali lost to Kenya Prisons’ William Kamau in a bantamweight quarter-final clash.

Other quarter-final matches in the same weight saw Martin Oduor of Kenya Police knock out Steve Jaoko of Thika in the first round as Homeboy Mike Ngugi of Nakuru ABC lost 2-1 to Charles Machar in of Dallas.

The Policemen, who romped into the semi-finals were light flyweight boxer Shaffi Bakari, Maurice Ochieng (fly), Martin Oduor (bantam), Ethan Maina (light), Joseph Shigali (lightwelter), Boniface Mugunge (welter) and Kimathi Kinoti (superheavyweight).

Bakari knocked out Erick Kahoro of Ndenderu in the first round, Ochieng dismissed John Gitau of KDF 3-0, Oduor knocked out Steve Jaoko of Thika, Maina defeated Washington Wandera of Omar Kassongo Sports Academy 3-0, Shigali knocked out Fred Otieno of Kisumu in the second round, Mugunge beat Mustapha Salim of Nakuru 3-0 with Kinoti going into the finals without throwing a jab.

The KDF boxers who made it to the semi-finals were Blackmoses Mathenge in the welterweight, Raphael Mutua (light) and Fred Ramogi.

Mathenge knocked out Moses Ngugi of Ndenderu while Mutua dismissed David Mau of Kisumu 3-0.

 

Selected Results;

Light flyweight (49kg);-Shaffi Bakari of Police knocked out Erick Kahora of Ndenderu in the first round.

Flyweight (52kg);-Duncan Kamau of Thika dismissed Joshua Maina of Kibra 3-0.

Jackson Okwiri of Coast defeated Harrison Mathuku of Prisons 3-0.

Maurice Ochieng of police dismissed John Gitau of KDF 3-0.