▪️Kenya’s head coach John Ochieng aka Chea says he’s forced to operate like a night runner, bathing late at night and praying that no youth wakes up to do the same because the bathrooms have no doors and toilets are in deplorable stinking condition
18/12/2025
Clinton Omondi powered his way into the semi-finals to assure Kenya of a second boxing medal in the ongoing African Youth Games in Luanda, Angola.
National novices and intermediate light-welterweight champion Sonia Atieno won Kenya’s first medal – a bronze – after losing to Tunisia’s Alma Zaara in the semi-finals on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
In the quarter-finals, Omondi outpointed Namibia’s Kalenga Leevi at flyweight.
Kenya’s coach John Ochieng aka Chea told boxersworld.co.ke from Luanda that Omondi was initially supposed to fight in the minimumweight category but he had to move up to flyweight because the minimumweight is not in the schedule.
“Omondi fought very well, I’m sure if he maintains it he will qualify for the finals,” said Ochieng, the owner and head coach of Githurai Thailand Boxing Club in Nairobi.
Omondi will take on DR Congo’s Bofenda Mabela in today’s semi-finals.
Other Kenyan boxers in the competition have been eliminated. Flyweight Ella Demesi was stopped in the first round by Tunisia’s Oueslatim Tashmin and featherweight Felix Ochieng lost to DR Congo’s Mambu Mambone.
“It was a very close fight it could have gone either way,” said Ochieng on the defeat of Felix Ochieng.
Amid the ongoing Games and the impressive performance of the Kenyan boxers, a cocktail of problems surrounds the Games in Luanda, Angola’s capital city.
Kenya’s coach John Ochieng pulled no punches in talking about the problems they’re facing there.
“Like how we’ve been waiting for more than one hour the weigh-in has not started,” said a disappointed Ochieng.
That’s not all. The accommodation is pathetic. Bathrooms and toilets are degrading.
“We the coaches are sleeping in dormitories like school children, to make it even more shameful our dormitory is next to the players,” said Ochieng, and went on: “The toilets are in a bad state, stinking and bathrooms have no doors.”
In the face of these challenges, Ochieng jokingly said he is forced to operate like a night runner known for their nocturnal activities.
“I bath very late at night with some of the coaches praying that no player wakes up to do the same,” said Ochieng.
“We’re sharing bathrooms and toilets with the players. It’s so degrading no privacy for us. I just don’t know how Angola was approved to host the Games. The situation is further compounded by the hot weather here.”
Other participating nations have also voiced their concern on the deplorable conditions in the Luanda Games but this is Africa. Who cares? You either take it or leave it.
