Police enter five players in Boxing semifinal

Both leaders Kenya Defence Forces and defending champions Kenya Police landed five boxers each in the semifinals as the second leg of the National Boxing League boxed-off at Nanyuki Social Hall on Thursday night.

The KDF boxers who won their quarterfinals bouts with a similar 3-0-point-defeat over their opponents were Abednego Kyalo (light fly), Isaac Meja(bantam), Nick Okoth(light), Blackmoses Mathenge (welter) and Victor Odhiambo (light welter).

In the KDF ranks, Kyalo defeated Martin Maina of Thika ABC 3-0, Meja dismissed Ken Okello of Kenya Prisons by a similar margin, Okoth stopped Washington Wandera of Oscar Kassongo Sports Academy (OKSA) and Odhiambo beat Fred Otieno of Kisumu. The policemen, who won their semifinal bouts were Shaffique Bakari (light fly), Maurice Ochieng (fly), Martin Oduor (bantam), Ethan Maina (Light) and Boniface Mugunde (welter).

Bakari walloped Kevin Wasia of Kongowea 3-0, Ochieng beat Duncan Kamau of Soweto, Oduor dismissed Joshua Mwangi of Soweto, Maina (Ethan) beat Sadala Toufique of Kongowea and Mugunde Benson Akhasamba of Nairobi’s Kayole.

KDF and Police are the two main teams that provide bulk of players to the National Boxing Team and they are faced in a fierce contest as the process of selecting consistent boxers of a provisional squad for the World Boxing Championships in Hamburg in September hots up ahead of the selection trials in July entered the second round in Nanyuki.

A total of 15 teams are taking part in the three day competition ending tomorrow and supervised by Boxing Association of Kenya Vice President Albert Matito with assistance of former international Patrick ‘Mont’ Waweru.

Coastal clubs in Kongowea and Coast Combined also produced some brilliant performance when they entered three boxers to the semifinal stages. In the flyweight matches, Mohammed Ali of Coast Combined secured a 2-1 win over Stephen Ndung’u of Kenya Prisons as Ali Mohammed of Kongowea won 2-1 against Joshua Wasike of OKSA.

Other matches, saw Krais Hudheifa of Coast Combined overcoming Alex Mwaura of Thika in the same weight (fly) category.

Selected results: Light fly (49kg) - Mohammed Hussein of OKSA beat Joshua Miana of Kibra 3-0; Fly(52kg) - Stephen Ndungu of Prisons beat Basil Mwangi of Kenya National Hospital 3-0 Lemid Thiongo of Nakuru lost 3-0 to Dennis Muthama of Nairobi’s Kaloleni; Bantam (56kg) - Edward Omollo of nairobi’s Undugu won 2-1 against Brian Agina of Coast Combined.