NENEZ BOXING ARCHIVE: Kenya’s US-based Chris “Bingwa” Sande turned professional in 1989 and he shared an exclusive story.
Kenya’s US-based Chris “Bingwa” Sande turned professional in 1989. By then I was working for the Kenya Times newspaper. As my good friend whom I covered at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Sande decided to share the exclusive story with us. This is how we broke the news in 1989.
Olympic middleweight bronze medallist Chris “Bingwa” Sande has turned professional in Las Vegas.
The southpaw pugilist becomes the second Kenyan to move to Top Rank after his compatriot, Robert Wangila who turned pro last October soon after becoming the first black African boxer to win an Olympic gold medal.
A jovial Sande called The Kenya Times Sports Desk to confirm he has turned professional. He was accompanied by David “DK” Kamau, a quarter-finalist at the Seoul Olympics.
On his decision to turn professional, Sande said: “There’s nothing to hide. I’m going to Las Vegas to fight for money. I think it’s high time I give upcoming boxers a chance also. For how long will I fight as an amateur?.”
Sande wished the amateurs the best of lack in next year’s Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand and thanked the Amateur Boxing Association of Kenya for their cooperation.
Asked why he has decided to fight bare chested, Sande responded:”You see there’s nothing else left for me to prove in amateur boxing. I have won a bronze medal in the Olympics so the next best step for me is to turn professional.”
How has he benefited from amateur boxing?
“To be honest with you, there’s nothing much I’ve benefited in amateur boxing apart from the trips and being employed by the Army but those trips mean nothing if my standard of living is still the same.
“I would like to advise my fellow boxers not to waste their time in amateur boxing if they get a good promoter.
“Everybody is after money. I don’t see why I should continue fighting for medals when my friend Wangila is making millions in the US.”
Sande has spoken to the vice-president of Top Rank Akbar Muhammad who assured him arrangements for him to join Top Rank were complete.
Early last week, Wangila told the Kenya Times he was eagerly waiting for Sande to join him at Top Rank.
Sande regards Wangila as the toughest boxer he has fought in amateur boxing.
“I fought Wangila once but I had a rough time. He’s a difficult boxer to understand in the ring because you cannot know what he’s planning to do or read his game.”
Sande outpointed Wangila in a league match between KDF and Breweries in 1987 at the Desai Memorial Hall.
Sande, the younger of renowned boxer Kenneth “Valdez” Ochieng, singled out Germany’s Henry Maske as the toughest foreign boxer he had fought. Sande lost to Maske in the semi-finals of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Sande said he was happy on how his employer had handled him on informing them he is is turning professional.
“If it were not for their understanding I would not have been able to travel to Las Vegas. I wish them all the best and my teammates in the Army.”
Asked whom he thought would succeed him in the middleweight berth, Sande said: “As of now the only boxer capable of taking over from me is Charles Waithaka, I don’t see any other boxer able to beat Waithaka now he’s a hard puncher.”
The two boxers have fought eight times with Sande winning seven of the eight fights. Waithaka’s only victory over Sande was during the 1984 Kenya Open Championships when Sande was still at welterweight.
Ever since he made his international debut in 1984 during a series of international competitions in the Scandinavian countries, Sande has been a regular member of the national team.
The big breakthrough came at the 1985 King’s Cup tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, where Sande not only won welterweight gold but was also voted the Best Boxer, a remarkable feat which earned him the 1985 Boxer of the Year award.
Sande started boxing in 1982 at the once famous Undugu Boxing Club.
He said he supported Wangila in his efforts to assist more Kenyan boxers join them at Top Rank.
“Once I’m in the US and settled we’ll make sure more Kenyan boxers come to Las Vegas,” said Sande.
Another Seoul Olympian, David “DK” Kamau, who flanked Sande to the Kenya Times offices, chipped in: “That will be very good if they can arrange for more Kenyan boxers to join them in Las Vegas. If it’s me I cannot refuse such an offer.”
Kamau was to have signed for Nairobi-based Di-Kim International Promotions early this year but the deal fell through because they were offering the Seoul Olympic Games quarter-finalist peanuts.
Kamau is currently an employee of Kenya Posts and Telecommunications, and said for now he’s satisfied with what he is earning.
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