Eight countries have already confirmed participation in the first regional event in 20 years to be hosted by Kenya
Kenyan boxing fans – starved of regional international matches at home for 20 years – will finally quench their thirst when the East African country hosts Africa Zone 3 Championships at the KICC, Nairobi, from October 15-25, 2025.
A delighted Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) President Anthony “Jamal” Otieno said the government has given them the greenlight to stage the tournament.
“By giving us the go-ahead it means our beloved government under the able leadership of President William Samoei Ruto has accepted to fund the tournament,” said Jamal.
“We wholeheartedly thank the government through the ministry in charge of sports headed by CS Salim Mvurya for their kind gesture. We’re a planning to stage the most successful ever Zone 3 Championships, and I’m appealing to all member countries to attend the event.
“As the Zone 3 and BFK President, I also take this opportunity to congratulate President Ruto for inspiring our Kenyan footballers with handsome cash incentives in the ongoing Africa CHAN tournament showing his unwavering commitment to empower our youth in sports which is now a big industry.In this regard, we hope the President will also extend the same generosity to our Kenyan boxers in the Nairobi boxing extravaganza.”
The Africa Zone 3 tournament will be the first regional event in 20 years to be hosted by Kenya since the Zone 5 Championships held in 2005 at the Kasarani Gymnasium in Nairobi.
AFBC Zone 3 comprises 14-member countries eight of whom have already confirmed participation. They are DR Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Somalia and hosts Kenya.
The six member countries yet to confirm are Gabon, Uganda, Rwanda, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic but there’s every indication they will be in Nairobi not only to participate but also admire the beauty of the City in the Sun, the warm hospitality of the Kenyans, visit Nairobi National Park – the only national park in the world based in the capital city -, whet their appetite with the best nyama choma in Africa including roasted crocodile meat at the world famous meat-eating joint Carnivore Restaurant and of course shake a leg when sampling the vibrant Nairobi night life.
DR Congo won the previous two Africa Zone 3 championships held in Kinshasa in 2021 and 2022 staving off stiff challenge from Kenya but this time around, the going will not be easy to overcome Kenya at their own backyard especially in view of the fact that Kenya will parade two teams like DR Congo did as hosts.
Leading the DR Congo onslaught will be their two-time Africa champion Pita Kabeji who will be confronted by the twin-pronged assault of twice Africa bronze medallist Kenya’s Robert “Man Man Ngori” Okaka and Tanzania’s Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Yusuf Changalawe who is baying for the blood of Kabeji.
The DR Congo boxer claimed Changalawe deliberately stayed out of the 2024 Africa Championships in Kinshasa because he was scared stiff of meeting Kabeji. The two boxers have fought thrice Kabeji winning twice and Changalawe once during the IBA Champions Night card in 2024 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Their third encounter won by Changalawe on points ended acrimoniously with Kabeji blasting the judges for giving the fight to Changalawe on a silver platter.
“He didn’t win the fight, I’m very surprised how the judges officiated,” Kabeji told me in his dressing room at Adwa Museum in Addis Ababa on August 17, 2024.
Kabeji was calmly furious after the gruelling bout in the first ever IBA Champions Night card staged on African soil.
“Look at me I’ve no injuries but Changalawe’s face is swollen from the punishment I handed him,” said Kabeji, twice gold medallist in the Africa Elite Championships.
In the last Africa Zone 3 Championships held in 2022, DR Congo, inspired by the wildly enthusiastic boxing-crazy home fans and fielding two teams, topped the medals chart with 13 gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze medals followed by a rejuvenated Kenya team in second position with six gold medals, five silvers and seven bronzes. Among the six Kenyan gold medallists were three female boxers welterweight Everlyn Akinyi, light-welterweight Teresia Wanjiru and light-heavyweight Liz Andiego with flyweight David Karanja, bantamweight Shaffi Bakari and featherweight Samuel Njau winning the other three gold medals. Cameroon placed third followed by guest team Mauritius, Congo Brazzaville and sixth-placed Equatorial Guinea.
At the 2021 Zone 3 Championships, Kenya was represented by 16 boxers who won one gold through super heavyweight Elly Ajowi, five silvers by flyweight Christine Ongare, flyweight David Karanja, featherweight Nick Okoth, welterweight Boniface Mogunde and heavyweight Joshua Wasike while the five bronze medallists were lightweight Stacy Ayoma, welterweight Elizabeth Akinyi, middleweight Liz Andiego, middleweights Edwin Awuor, Cosby Ouma and light-heavyweight Hezron Magaga.
