Pro-boxers seek fresh beginning

Newly elected Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) Chairman Reuben Ndolo awards David Ochieng during the Robert Wangila boxing tournament at Jericho Social Hall on Saturday. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) held its long-awaited elections on Wednesday ushering in former Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo for a second stint as chairman. Standard Sports talked to Ndolo, also a former Commonwealth Boxing Council president on why he saw it fit to return after close to 16 years.

WHY HAVE YOU COME BACK TO BOXING LEADERSHIP?

Reuben Ndolo: It is pressure from fellow boxers, the local and international boxing community. After I left, subsequent administrations have had problems with African Boxing Union and the World Boxing Council, who we are also affiliated. This is as a result of leadership wrangles. The international body wanted me to return so we could have a fresh start. Not so long ago, the vice-president of WBC was here and threatened to ban Kenya. It took some courage for me to come back. Now we are done with elections it is the time to restore KPBC.

AND JUST EASILY AS THAT AND YOU ARE BACK AT KPBC?

RN: We know each other. Thankfully I retain the respect of most of the people in the game. It is largely because of my track record having given several boxers a chance to fight at global level. They got a chance to fight for African, world and Commonwealth titles. Joseph Akhasamba for instance went on to win a world title.

WHAT IS YOUR PLAN, THEREFORE, FOR PROFESSIONAL BOXING?

RN: We have to start afresh. We need to produce a boxer that the boxing world can talk about like we have Fatuma Zarika in women boxing. When I was there, we had very good male boxers. Today, it is the women who are doing better. What happened to the men? My plan is to get everyone to go back to the basics of managing the sport and the local talent.

THE NEAR COLLAPSE OF KPBC AFTER YOU LEFT PERHAPS POINTS TO YOUR FAILURE TO NURTURE A SUCCESSOR. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE?

RN: I left leadership of KPBC in the hands of the young ones. Memba Muriuki came after me. There was also George Athman, then came Hillary Alila after a leadership vacuum. Alila came in without experience. However, he did his best despite being undermined partly because he did not belong to the family boxing. They did not know him and so made it difficult for him to operate, but he meant well.

HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT YOU WILL NOT BE UNDERMINED?

RN: I don’t envisage that because it was not my wish to come back. It was pressure from them and the international boxing family. It is time we put aside narrow view so we can grow the sport to benefit everyone. We need to take advantage of goodwill we have from the international community to take pro-boxing to a higher level.

HOW HAVE PROMOTERS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OR DOWNFALL OF PRO-BOXING IN KENYA AND HOW WILL YOU ENSURE THE PROMOTERS GET VALUE FOR THEIR MONEY?

RN: Promoters come in when they have confidence in KPBC. We had promoters putting in their money before. They came in a big way. There were also sponsors. Unfortunately, there were incidences that turned them away. It is for this reason that as new KPBC leadership we must get it right this time by restructuring our operations. Get the right people to run the secretariat and programmes. We need to be very aggressive in marketing the sport. To do so, we need to get the right people to do the job. And that will be my biggest responsibility and challenge.

We will have a secretariat complete with a CEO to run the day to day activities of KPBC.

DO YOU HAVE A REGISTER OF PROMOTERS?

RN: We will scrutinse them. You can have promoters who are just having a license but have not even promoted an event. Or maybe they are only promoting one fight a year. Or one fight in five years.

And you want to call yourself a promoter? No way. A promoter has a long term programme. This is business. After we come back from Commonwealth and WBC meeting in Mexico next month, we will sit down, discuss and actualise the structure I am going to propose.

PRO-BOXING IN KENYA IS CRYING FOR FRESH BLOOD NOW. HOW WILL YOU ENSURE WE HAVE NEW FACES?

RN: We had the same scenario in 1998. Luckily we had a few boxers coming back from the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games. We put together about 20 boxers and Commonwealth boxers such as George Adipo, Moses Kinyua, and others. There was also David Kiilu who we took to South Africa and they turned pro and never looked back. Some went on to become world champions.

WILL YOU BE USING SAME STRATEGY?

RN: Right now we have identified three boxers. In 2017 we had three boxers we took to India where they fought really well. Later I brought my friends from Fox TV, who organised fights at Crowne Plaza, Nairobi. Those bouts were televised around the world. One of the fighters that night was Dennis ‘Billabong’ Okoth, who is now American Boxing Organisation (ABO) Jr. Welterweight champion.

We have Rayton Okwiri, who is now an ABU champion. We groomed them during the Fox fights. We have some in the disciplined forces, who are likely to join pro-boxing.

So, yes we have the goodwill and connections to make pro-boxing big in Kenya. We can do it.

HOW DO YOU INTEND TO MANAGE SCOUTING TO TAP TALENT?

RN: We will have a team of coaches, managers and promoters. Have a roundtable with them to see how best we can ensure things move smoothly.

HOW DO YOU INTEND TO WORK WITH AMATEUR BOXING?

RN: There are many areas of cooperation with Amateur boxing. Boxing is boxing. Remember, a jab is a jab. There is no different jab for a pro or amateur boxing. Definitely we will have to work together.

SOME PROMOTERS HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF DISAPPEARING WITH BOXERS’ PURSE MONEY. HOW WILL YOU DEAL WITH THAT?

RN: We will not have white-collar promoters. We will not allow that to happen. The good thing is we know them. We are going to enforce all the regulations.

DO YOU HAVE THE BLESSING OF THE GOVERNMENT?

RN: I believe so, but first we have to comply with the Sports Act. We are done with elections. Once we submit our returns then it will be all clear to engage the government as a partner.

ANY CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES FROM AROUND THE WORLD?

RN: One of the biggest promoters in South Africa has wished us well. The president of Africa Boxing Commission, WBC boss even spoke with Zarika during the elections. I also got congratulatory messages from WBC Vice president. They have pledged their support. Therefore, we cannot afford to fail. I expect the support from everyone in the sport so we can return pro-boxing to where it belongs… Up there.

WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME YOU HAVE SET YOURSELF?

RN: We are giving ourselves two years to get back to our level. I have the knowhow, I have the connections.