Kenya Open Boxing starts tomorrow in Nanyuki

By BEN AHENDA

Kenya Open Boxing Championship starts tomorrow at Riverside Hotel, Nanyuki.

Amateur Boxing Association of Kenya Secretary-General Isaac Mbote has asked all league clubs to present their best boxers.

Mbote said the three day event, that runs to Saturday, would be used to select the national teams for the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers and next year’s All Africa Games in Mozambique.

He warned that no player would be included in the national Olympics team, without taking part in the competition.

"No boxer will be selected into the national boxing Olympics team or that of the All Africa Games without taking part in the Kenya Open Championships," he warned.

Leading to the selection of the Olympics team, there will be two qualifiers in Bussan, South Korea, in April next year and in Morocco later in October.

"The national team for the Olympics will be those who shall have excelled in South Korea and Morocco," said Mbote.

Full team

The official said the number of players Kenya will send to the Olympics would depend on those who qualify either in South Korea or Morocco. Kenya will send a full team to the two qualifiers.

Mbote said the same methodwould be used to select a team to the All African Games in Mozambique next year.

He appealed to players, clubs and coaches to take the National Championship seriously since there will be no short cuts in the national team selection for the 2012 London Olympics and 2011 All Africa Games.

Among the teams expected in Naivasha are National League champions Kenya Police, Armed Forces, Kenya Prisons and Administration Police Training College. Others are Nakuru ABC, Dallas, Bungoma ABC, Nyanza, Mombasa and Nanyuki among others.

All players will undergo medical check-ups and weighing on tomorrow at 9am.

Meanwhile, Kenya Police retained the National Boxing League title for the fourth year running in Mombasa last week. Police collected a total of 115 points to emerge the champions.

Armed Forces Boxing Club (Afaba) finished second on 109 points, while Kenya Prisons finished third with 99 points.