Siaya County to host national boxing league championships

Kibra's Abubakar Hakeen fight Thailand's Douglas Muya in heavyweight bout during the Nairobi County Boxing Second Leg held at the Truth Club, Nairobi. August 5, 2023. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

With the conclusion of the first leg in Vihiga last weekend, for the first time Siaya town will host the second leg of the National Boxing League from Thursday to Saturday.

It comes at a time the federation is keen to extend hosting of the national assignments to the grassroots in the Ndondi Mashinani Initiative.

All the teams that featured in the Vihiga Championships are expected to travel to Siaya according to Boxing Federation of Kenya Secretary General David Munuhe.

"We have finalised all plans to have all teams that participated in Vihiga league championships to do the same in Siaya next weekend with an aim to extend such events to all corners of the republic," he told Standard Sports.

For the second time, league champions Kenya champions Kenya Police and former champions Kenya Defence Forces and Kenya Prisons are the top teams that open the battle for top honours as others follow.

Police top the league table standings with 30 points ahead of KDF who boast of 21 and Prisons 11 as Nairobi County becomes the only teams outside disciplined forces that gives the top three a run for their money.

Nakuru Boxing Club who skipped a number of the league championships last season this time are consistent and are heading to the lakeside town.

"Just the same way we did it in Vihiga the previous weekend, we are equally ready to present our boxers for the league championships again," said coach Muthee Mwangi.

Their participation resuscitates hopes of young boxers in the county, which used to be the cradle of Kenyan boxing from the 1060s to 1990s before the standards dipped.

Other counties that are expected to send their boxers to the event are hosts Siaya, Kisumu, Vihiga, Mombasa, Kiambu, Meru, Trans Nzoia, Kakamega, Nyandarua, and Laikipia.

Munuhe confirmed all experienced and upcoming boxers lock horns in the tournament.