🇰🇪 *Kenya National Boxing League Preview*
Who will stop the marauding KDF soldiers from regaining the Kenya National Boxing League title?
As the boxing caravan heads to Homabay – the land of night runners – KDF are all set to regain the league title as they lead the table with 100 points
KDF’s arch-rivals, Police, launched a massive attack on the well drilled soldiers in the fourth leg of the BFK-sponsored national league in Nanyuki but KDF repulsed the cops to win with 24 points at Nanyuki Social Hall on November 9, 2024.
Defending champions Police finished second on 20 points, Nairobi County third with 13 points followed by fourth-placed Prisons 10 points.
Overall, KDF have opened a huge lead of 100 points ahead of jointly second-placed Police and Nairobi County. Both have 46 points and Kibra third having 23 points. The chances of Police and Nairobi catching up with KDF are as remote as touching the moon.
Prisons are fourth overall with 17 points, and will have to recruit new boxers to match the firepower of KDF and Police whose absence in two league matches has affected their overall points tally.
The fifth and final leg of the league takes place from December
19-21 in Homabay, in Western Kenya.
The highlight of the fourth leg of the league was the light-heavyweight bout between Africa Championships bronze medallist Robert Okaka and Humphrey Ochieng of Police. Okaka put up a dominant show to outpoint battle-hardened Ochieng aka Jakababa in a keenly contested bout which saw Ochieng being counted twice and Okaka once by referee David Opiyo. Throughout the three rounds, Okaka unleashed heavy artillery on the never-say-die Ochieng whose resilience enabled him last the full course.
Amina Martha, Kenya’s first ever female boxer to win a medal in the African Games, maintained her unbeaten run locally stopping a helpless Dorah Mwakacharo in the first round of the bantamweight class.
Amina and Okaka were among the international boxers who won their fights in the finals. Others were featherweight Shaffi Bakari, female featherweight Pauline Chege, lightweight Ethan Maina, light-welterweight Aloice Vincent, middleweight George Cosby, cruiserweight Hezron Magaga and heavyweight Peter Abuti.
KDF are currently training at Jamhuri Park Showground in Nairobi ahead of the Homabay showdown, and are due to travel next Wednesday.
Fresh from their sterling show in the Africa Military Games in Abuja, Nigeria, where they finished fourth, KDF have already uncorked their champagne bottle.
All their five medallists in Abuja are in the team, and this shows the soldiers are not taking any chances in the battle ahead. They won four gold and one silver in Abuja. Flyweight Kevin Maina, bantamweight Dennis Muthama, welterweight Friza Anyango and middleweight Edwin Okong’o won gold medals and light-flyweight Veronica Mbithe settled for silver..
