Tight boxing contest: Race for 2017 national league title is open now

Peter Buti (in red) of Prisons trade punches with Nick Abaka (in blue) of KDF in their light heavy weight category semi finals of the Boxing Association of Kenya 5th leg at Uwanja wa Mbuzi in Kongowea within Mombasa County, November 11, 2017. [PHOTO B GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

KDF and Police in neck-and-neck battle as both teams enter a good number of boxers into finals.The race for this year’s national boxing league title was thrown wide open after former champions Kenya Police and title holders Kenya Defence Force (KDF) entered nine and four boxers respectively into finals of the fifth and final leg on Friday night at Uwanja wa Mbuzi stadium in Mombasa.

However, the surprise of the night was little known Brian Agina of Coast combined to punch his way to the final of fly weight. Agina made it to the final after his opponent Simon Mulinge of KDF retired in the first round due to an injury.

Mulinge won his quarter-final match against Charles Macharia of Dallas but suffered an injury which could not allow him to proceed. Mulinge decided to take on the ring to give his side a point.

In welter weight, Jacob Kimanthi (Prisons) lost to Police’s Boniface Mogunde on points to sail to finals and was to face Moses Mathenge of KDF who dismissed Lucky Nyiro of Coast combined 3-0.

Erick Otieno of Prisons handed Coast’s Sande Sinzole a 3-0 beating in the middle category and was to face experienced Police’s Humphrey Ochieng who floored KDF’s Edwin Okongo 2-1 in another tough bout.