NAIROBI COUNTY START THE YEAR ON TOES AS BFK BOSS JAMAL SPELLS OUT JUNIOR PLANS

NAIROBI COUNTY START THE YEAR ON TOES AS BFK BOSS JAMAL SPELLS OUT JUNIOR PLANS

Nairobi, the Mecca of boxing in Kenya, has started the year running with the Junior Boxing Championships taking place at Umoja Gym from today (January 2) to Saturday.

As Nairobi takes the lead, Boxing Federation of Kenya Competition Secretary John Waweru said they’re finalising the national calendar which will be released this weekend.

“We’re putting in the finishing touches on our calendar, it will be a busy season,” said Waweru aka CS.

And BFK President Anthony “Jamal” Otieno has reiterated their commitment on Junior and Youth programme saying it’s all in the Ndondi Mashinani project.

“We recognise the fact that for any country to do well, emphasis must be on a steady junior and youth programme. That’s why we are working out our plans with my team,” said the Bahati Estate -bred BFK boss.

“We will have a team monitoring the talented boxers and compile their data,” said Jamal, adding: “We will even talk to their parents to see if we can chip in with their education in case they’re stuck because we value the education of our children, our policy is boxing must go hand in hand with education.”

Jamal said plans are underway to see if they can invite Zimbabwe’s junior and youth boxers for an international friendly match this year.

On the Nairobi County Junior Tournament, the official in charge Hassan Salim said 90 boxers below the age of 15 years will trade leather from today to Saturday.

“We’re so happy with the turnout it shows we have the passion and this gives us hope future champions will emerge from this tournament,” said Salim who is also the coach of Kibra Boxing Club and the Assistant Competition Secretary of Nairobi County Boxing Association.

The Junior boxing tournament was first held in 1971 at the Prisons Gym opposite Wilson Airport.

Organised under the auspices of the Amateur Boxing Association of Kenya (ABA) then under the leadership of Brigadier Cromwell Mkungusi, the tournament unearthed several future champions among them world champion, Dallas Mercenary Steve “Destimo” Muchoki, YMCA’s James Njoroge and Prisons’ ring artists Kamau “Pipino” Wanyoike, Napunyi “Nappu” Oduori and Patrick Lumumba.