BONIFACE MOGUNDE AND AMINA MARTHA WIN BEST BOXER AWARD IN AFRICA ZONE 3 TOURNAMENT
▪️ Plus full results of the finals at Kasarani Gym in Nairobi on October 24
Kenya’s Africa light-middleweight champion Boniface “The Hammer” Mogunde and Amina Martha Faki scooped the men’s and women’s Best Boxer Award in the just-concluded Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships in Nairobi.
Mogunde, unbeaten locally for seven years, scored his second win over compatriot Alvin “Liwalo Liwe” Oduor in an all-Kenyan final light-middleweight fight.
It was one-way traffic as Mogunde totally dominated Oduor keeping him at bay with constant jabs and timely combinations.
Oduor failed to find the range for the better part of the fight against the swift-moving Mogunde, one of the best out-boxers in Kenya today.
Even when he was supposed to cut in to lay ambush for his opponent, Oduor didn’t do so. As a result he kept on doing the chasing but hardly connecting any meaningful punch on eagle-eyed Mogunde.
Mogunde made his international debut in 2019 at the African Games in Rabat, Morocco where he won a bronze medal in the welterweight division.
He’s now looking forward to Men’s World Boxing Championships scheduled for December 2-13 in Dubai.
It will be his third appearance in the global event.
“This time I must be in the medal bracket, I have gained enough experience in the World Championships,” Mogunde told boxersworld.co.ke
Amina Martha, the first ever Kenyan female boxer to win a medal in the African Games, stopped Tanzania’s Zulfa Macho in the first round of their bantamweight bout.
Martha was in a ferocious mood pressurising Zulfa with relentless two-fisted flurries and in the process subjecting the Tanzanian boxer to three standing counts.
On noticing that Zulfa was under siege, the referee wisely stopped the fight in favour of Martha who made her international debut in the 2022 Africa Zone 3 Championships, settling for a bronze medal.
In addition to Mogunde and Martha, a number of boxers such as Uganda’s Kasim Murungi, Fatuma Nabikolo and Edward Mukwaya, Kenya’s Friza Asiko, Veronica Mbithe, Diouf Muimi and Emmanuel Chondo, Cameroon’s Wouang Martial, Zacharie Mvogo, Rwanda’s Iranezeza Aime, DRC’s Kinda Wetu and Gabon’s Lendoye Arthur – to mention but a few – displayed good boxing but what was evident is the rust in most of them owing to lack of consistent competitions and lack of exposure, a nagging problem in Africa boxing.
Otherwise the standards were quite encouraging for boxers lacking constant exposure.
The organisation of the tournament was super duper. Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) President Anthony Otieno aka Jamal and his team did a splendid job with daily Livestream of the event to boot.
Boxing Federation of Tanzania (BFK) Secretary-General Makore Mashaga was so impressed by the organisation of the Zone 3 tournament.
“I have attended several tournaments in Africa. To me this was one of the most well organised kudos to Jamal and your organising committee,” said Mashaga.
The visiting officials were given VIP treatment with mouth-watering dish from the catering services at Kasarani Gym.
Cameroon’s former AFBC Secretary-General Andre Basile Kalong, one of the ITOs, rightfully earned the nickname Mr Tilapia. Almost daily Andre could not avoid helping himself to the appetising fish with ugali topping it up with mala milk. Welcome back to Kenya.
Full results of the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championship finals at Kasarani Gym on October 24, 2025
First session
Women’s Minimumweight: Diyoka Benedicte (DRC) outpointed Ethiopia’s Fetan Bujo Kele 3-2
Women’s light-flyweight: Kenya’s Veronica Mbithe outpointed Uganda’s Brenda Muduwa 3-2
Women’s Bantamweight: Kenya’s Amina Martha (Kenya) stopped Tanzania’s Zulfa Macho in the first round.
Women’s lightweight: DRC’s Munga Zalia got a walkover against Kenya’s Emily Juma who was unwell
Women’s light-welterweight: DRC’s Mbalayi Mbamba outpointed Kenya’s Cynthia Mwai 5-0
Women’s welterweight: Uganda’s Emily Nakalema beat Tanzania’s Salma Yahya
Women’s middleweight: DRC’s Mwamba Lulua outpointed Kenya’s Liz Andiego 3-2
Women’s heavyweight: DRC’s Tshimwanga Kande stopped Tanzania’s Veronica Ebron in round one
Men’s light-flyweight: Kenya’s Silus Onyango stopped DRC’s Mayala Tsimba in round one
Men’s bantamweight: DRC’s Kalongo Bakora outpointed Uganda’s Ochien Samuel 3-1
Men’s lightweight: DRC’s Kitangila Mweba outpointed Tanzania’s Ezra Paul 3-2
Men’s welterweight: Kabengela Ntumba outpointed Uganda’s Mukwaya Edward 3-2
Men’s middleweight: DRC’s southpaw Kinda Wetu beat Uganda’s Ojok Alfred
Men’s cruiserweight: DRC’s Matete Kankonde outpointed Kenya’s Chris Ochanda 4-1
Men’s heavyweight: The grand son of former Uganda President Idi Amin, Abdul Aziz outpointed Kenya’s Peter Abuti 3-2
Second session results
Women’s flyweight: DRC’s Nyembo Gisele got a walkover against Kenya’s Faith Nafuna
Women’s featherweight: Uganda’s Fatuma Nabikolo outpointed DRC’s Phoba Kerene 5-0
Women’s light-middleweight: Kenya’s Friza Asiko outponted DRC’s Muleketsi Nsii 4-1
Women’s light-heavyweight:Malewu Tekasala outpointed Kenya’s Lorna Kusa 5-0
Men’s flyweight: Cameroon’s Issouhou Mouhaman got a walkover against Kenya’s Diouf Muimi
Men’s featherweight: Uganda’s Kasim Murungi outpointed Kenya’s Mwinyi Kombo 3-2
Men’s light-welterweight: Maniloba Farahat outpointed DRC’s Njibu Njibu 4-1
Men’s light-middleweight: Kenya’s Boniface Mogunde outpointed compatriot Alvin Oduor 5-0
Men’s light-heavyweight: Tanzania’s Yusuf Changalawe outpointed Kenya’s Humphrey Ochieng 3-2
Men’s super-heavyweight: Cameroon’s Zacharie Mvogo outpointed DRC’s Mukwalo Emo 5-0
Final medals table compiled by boxersworld.co.ke
Gold. Silver. Bronze
1) DR Congo 12 5 4
2) Kenya. 5 11 8
3) Uganda 5 4 5
4) Cameroon 2. 0 3
5) Tanzania 1 4 9
6) Ethiopia 0. 1 2
7) Gabon. 0 0 3
8) Rwanda. 0 0 2
Photos by Duncan Kuria aka Sugar Ray
