Boxing: Imperious KDF close in on league title
Kenya’s Robert Okaka (right) attempts to land a punch on Yassir Rigui of Morocco during the Africa Boxing Championships in Kinshasa last month. Okaka guided KDF to win the fourth leg of the National Boxing League in Nanyuki.
What you need to know:
- Alvin Oduor of KDF was too good for Michael Oduor from Nairobi in the light middleweight section, winning 3-0 as compatriot Joseph Gatambo claimed a walkover against Alyoce Vincent of Police in light welterweight.
- George Cosby of Police edged out Lucky Nyiro from KDF 3-0 in middleweight, while Francis Lennox of Nairobi stopped Fred Omondi of KDF 3-0 in welterweight.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) boxing team is on the cusp of clinching their National Boxing League title in a decade.
This is after the two-time Africa light heavyweight bronze medallist, Robert Okaka’s victory over Humphrey “Jakababa” Ochieng of Police during the league’s fourth and penultimate leg in Nanyuki, Laikipia County on Saturday.
It was a clash of titans with Okaka, who was making a comeback after completing his course at the KDF Recruit Training School (RTS) in May, taught Ochieng a lesson as they faced off for the first time.
The victory saw KDF, who won a total of seven bouts, claim the leg with 24 points for an unassailable lead of 100 points, as Police, who won six matches for 20 points in Nanyuki, finished in second place with 46 points.
Police currently share the second place with Nairobi, who won two matches on the weekend, as the league heads to the final leg on December 19 to 21 in Homa Bay County.
KDF last won the National Boxing League title in 2014.
“Ochieng is well known to be tough and rough and I knew how to counter that. He finally met his match,” said the 25-year-old Senior Private at KDF, who embraced boxing in Form Three in 2020 at Makongeni Secondary School in Nairobi County.
Okaka was still at RTS and missed the first leg in Kisumu, but bounced back to win the second and third legs in Mombasa and Embu respectively.
Okaka, then with Nairobi, also missed the first leg last season, but returned to win the next four legs to remain the undisputed national heavyweight champion.
Okaka claimed the continental bronze medal in Cameroon last year before joining KDF to proceed to RTS.
“My journey has just started in earnest. I want to win the Africa title next year and a medal at the World Championships,” said Okaka, who refined his boxing skills with coach Kennedy Agavi, before Nickson Okoth and Elijah Mringie later took charge.
At KDF, Okaka trains under former internationals Sammy Magima and Benson Maingi.
KDF dominated in the heavyweight section in Nanyuki with Fred Onyango, Peter Abuti, and Hezron Maganga victorious in the super heavyweight, heavyweight, and cruiserweight categories respectively.
Onyango beat Joseph Shagali of Prisons after the referee stopped the contest, Abuti also claimed a similar victory against Ibrahim Shikanda of Prisons, while Maganga beat Abdi Sebi of Homa Bay 3-0.
Alvin Oduor of KDF was too good for Michael Oduor from Nairobi in the light middleweight section, winning 3-0 as compatriot Joseph Gatambo claimed a walkover against Alyoce Vincent of Police in light welterweight.
George Cosby of Police edged out Lucky Nyiro from KDF 3-0 in middleweight, while Francis Lennox of Nairobi stopped Fred Omondi of KDF 3-0 in welterweight.
