RWANDA’S NATIONAL BOXING TEAM IS BACK AFTER 7 YEARS

▪️ Rwanda’s last appearance in an elite competition was during the 2018 Bingwa wa Mabingwa in Tanzania.

Rwanda’s national boxing team is back in the limelight.

They will be represented by six boxers in the Africa Zone 3 Championships in Nairobi from October 15-25.

This will be Rwanda’s first participation in an elite tournament since 2018 when they featured in the Bingwa wa Mabingwa competition in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Among the six boxers selected, it’s only bantamweight Valentin Ntabanganyimana who has been at a major international championships.

He took part in the 2023 Junior World Championships in the land-locked West Asian country of Armenia accompanied by Jean Claude Gatorano who is the head coach of the six boxers for Zone 3 event in Nairobi.

Ntabanganyimana put an impressive performance in losing on points to Kazakhstan’s Ramazan Orynbassar in the light bantamweight division.

He matched the Kazakhstan boxer punch for punch hardly showing any stage fright despite his first participation in an international competition.

In addition to bantamweight Ntabanganyimana, others in the team are brothers, featherweight Iranezeza Aime and light-welterweight Niyonzima Pacifique, light-middleweight Kalisa Frank, welterweight Hassan Murenzi and middleweight Patrick Ndayishimie who is a member of Inkuba Boxing Club together with the boxing brothers Aime and Pacifique. Ntabanganyimana , Kalisa and Murenzi are with The Real Boxing Club.

All the six boxers will be making their debut in an elite boxing tournament.

Head coach the experienced Jean Claude Gatorano will be assisted by Niyigena Olivier. The leader of delegation and team manager is Deogratius Wasswa.

Announcing the six boxers to represent Rwanda in the Zone 3 tournament, the President of the federation, Bashir Ntwari, said they’re in the rebuilding process and was optimistic the boxers will give a good account of themselves.

“As I mentioned here recently, this is a new era, and these are boxers we believe can represent us well, they’re all new names to many outside of Rwanda just like myself. The challenge ahead is big, but I’m very hopeful,” Ntwari told boxersworld.co.ke in a phone interview from Kigali.

Rwanda has yet to make an impression in boxing. Some of the country’s former top internationals are light-heavyweight Nsengiyumva Vincent and welterweight Nsabimana David both of whom represented the national team in the 2011 African Games in Maputo and 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The last time Rwanda took part in a continental event was at the 2014 Africa Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana, where the late Cyiza Jean Pierre won a bronze medal in lightweight division.

“We decided to step back for a rebuilding process so that we can jump better,” former secretary-general of the Rwanda Boxing Federation Bigirimana Rafiki told boxersworld.co.ke

Bigirimana, who fell out with the former Rwanda Boxing Federation President Vick Kalisa, has played a big role in the ongoing revitalisation of boxing in Rwanda.

MEET GHANA’S FIRST FEMALE WORLD BOXING CHAMPION 

▪️Abigail Quartey defied all odds to achieve her dream in the squared circle.

Abigail Kwartekaa Quartey’s journey to becoming Ghana’s first female world boxing champion is a story of persistence against all odds. Growing up in Jamestown, a fishing community in Accra famed for producing male boxing stars, Quartey’s decision to pursue the sport as a teenager was met with resistance.

Her aunts and siblings repeatedly begged her coach to discourage her, fearing that boxing was not a path for women. In Ghana, where most sports especially boxing are dominated by men, women are often discouraged from taking part.

Despite the opposition, Quartey refused to give up. She trained for years at the Black Panthers Gym in Jamestown, where she honed her skills. Yet her path was not easy. Coming from a working-class background, she supported her family by selling rice with her aunt and later selling lottery tickets when she had to pause boxing in 2017 due to financial challenges.

Without a manager and with little support for female athletes, she doubted whether she could make it. But her coach and brother, who is also a boxer, urged her to return. In 2021, she stepped back into the ring with renewed determination.

Her persistence paid off in November 2024, when she defeated British boxer Sangeeta Birdi in Jamestown’s main boxing arena to claim the WIBF World Super Bantamweight title.

The victory was historic making her Ghana’s first female world boxing champion and the first woman to represent the nation on the global stage. Crowds in Jamestown erupted in celebration, temporarily silencing years of prejudice against women in the sport.

Beyond her personal achievement, Quartey sees her victory as a beacon of inspiration. She wants young women in Ghana to know that they too can succeed in sports and other fields traditionally reserved for men. “I am a world title holder and that confirms that what a man can do, a woman can also do,” she said proudly.

Her influence is already evident in young boxers like 18-year-old Perpetual Okaijah, who, despite family objections, continues to train because of Quartey’s example.

Courtesy African Boxing News

CHAOS IN THE RING: AFRICA’S BIGGEST BOXING NIGHT COMES TO LAGOS

▪️The star-studded lineup is supported by global boxing icons such as Anthony Joshua, Moses Itauma, Lawrence Okolie, Deontay Wilder, and Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, all confirmed to attend.

Lagos, get ready! On October 1, Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day, the Mobolaji Johnson Arena will host Chaos in the Ring, the continent’s most electrifying boxing event ever. Promoted by Balmoral Group and AK Promotions, this historic night is set to be broadcast live on DAZN, showcasing Nigeria’s vibrant culture and boxing talent.

Local stars Basit Adebayo, Yusuf Adeniji and Taiwo Agbaje show their wares against stiff regional opposition along with Ghanaian hotshots Samuel Takyi and Elvis Ahorgah.

Other exciting matchups include undefeated prospects Kerem Ozman vs Tosin Osaigbovo, cruiserweight contender Brandon Glanton, and former IBF World Champion Richard Commey. British-Nigerian star Dan Azeez will also make his Nigerian debut, marking a significant moment in his career.

This star-studded lineup is supported by global boxing icons such as Anthony Joshua, Moses Itauma, Lawrence Okolie, Deontay Wilder, and Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, all confirmed to attend. The event promises not only thrilling fights but also a celebration of Nigerian heritage, featuring Afrobeats performances and cultural displays throughout the night.

Don’t miss this monumental event that will put Nigerian boxing on the world map. Get ready for an unforgettable night of action, culture, and pride.

Courtesy African Boxing News

Simangele Hadebe and Nigeria’s Olamiposi Kehinde will vie for WBO Africa flyweight title in Johannesburg

South Africa’s most successful female professional boxer, Simangele “Smash” Hadebe (14-4-2, 5 KOs), returns to the ring on Friday, September 26, to take on Nigeria’s unbeaten Olamiposi Kehinde (7-0-1) for the WBO Africa female flyweight title at the Kagiso Memorial & Recreation Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

It’s the first time female boxers are vying for the WBO Africa flyweight title in the six-bout card promoted jointly by Thanya Promotions in collaboration with Honeybee, Zbashy and Xaba Promotions.

In addition to the main fight featuring Hadebe vs Kehinde, the other title bout is between South African boxers, Nozwelethu Mathontsi vs Asanda Simelane, both of whom will vie for WBO Africa female junior flyweight belt.

Initially Hadebe and Kehinde were to contest for WBC Africa title but it was changed to WBO.

“The sanction fee for the WBC Africa belt was too expensive for us,” fast-rising promoter Thanyani Marageni told boxersworld.co.ke from Johannesburg in a telephone interview.

Hadebe is coming off a points defeat to Mexico’s Gabriela “La Bonita” Sanchez in Mexico in April.

She had challenged the Mexican for her World Boxing Council Silver flyweight title. After a fine start, breaking Sanchez’ nose in the second round, the home girl eventually overwhelmed the South African boxer to retain her title on points victory at the Ignacio Zamora Stadium in Puebla, Mexico.

That’s now water under the bridge as Hadebe and her manager Colleen McAusland, who has managed Hadebe since 2018, are now focused on the WBO African belt.

McAusland is upbeat on Hadebe’s eight-round bout with the Nigerian.

“Smash is a world class fighter, the WBO Africa title will help her climb up in ranking again,” said McAusland.

“Smash was ranked third by Boxrec but losing to Sanchez in Mexico took her down to 9th. I’m confident Smash will get back to the top three again to fight for a world title if given the opportunities in South Africa.”

Commenting on the fight, Smash, who turned pro in 2016 without boxing as an amateur, said she’s looking forward to a resounding victory.

“History is being made, for the first time two female boxers vying for the WBO Africa title,” the 31-year-old Hadebe told boxersworld.co.ke.

“I’m very excited as well as humbled, honoured, and happy at the same time. This can only be the first of many.

“I don’t know much about my Nigerian opponent, but I do know that she’s unbeaten and she’s southpaw. The rest will be in the ring. I’m definitely confident of winning this WBO Africa title with my home supporters behind me.

“I’m a very patient person, and I do know and believe that everything happens at the right time, not the time that I want it to happen. I need more opportunities to fight in my country to prove to South Africans that I can be and will be a world champion given the opportunity.”

Hadebe, the reigning South African and ABU flyweight champion, believes the best is yet to come.

“I want to achieve more than what I’ve achieved at this stage in my life. And I do know I’m capable to own more titles than I have now.”

For promoter Thanya, her second promotion offers her another opportunity to show her managerial capacity as she aims to become one of the best South African female promoters.

“We female promoters have the capability to rise to the top but our main challenge is lack of sponsors, I call upon corporates in South Africa to give us all the support we need because we’re also creating opportunities for our boxers to make a living through pro boxing.”

We wish Thanya and her co-promoters plus the boxers all the best in Friday’s card.

SOUTH AFRICA’S HADEBE BACK IN ACTION TO CONTEND FOR WBO AFRICA TITLE AGAINST NIGERIAN

▪️ Simangele Hadebe and Nigeria’s Olamiposi Kehinde will vie for WBO Africa flyweight title in Johannesburg

South Africa’s most successful female professional boxer, Simangele “Smash” Hadebe (14-4-2, 5 KOs), returns to the ring on Friday, September 26, to take on Nigeria’s unbeaten Olamiposi Kehinde (7-0-1) for the WBO Africa female flyweight title at the Kagiso Memorial & Recreation Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

It’s the first time female boxers are vying for the WBO Africa flyweight title in the six-bout card promoted jointly by Thanya Promotions in collaboration with Honeybee, Zbashy and Xaba Promotions.

In addition to the main fight featuring Hadebe vs Kehinde, the other title bout is between South African boxers, Nozwelethu Mathontsi vs Asanda Simelane, both of whom will vie for WBO Africa female junior flyweight belt.

Initially Hadebe and Kehinde were to contest for WBC Africa title but it was changed to WBO.

“The sanction fee for the WBC Africa belt was too expensive for us,” fast-rising promoter Thanyani Marageni told boxersworld.co.ke from Johannesburg in a telephone interview.

Hadebe is coming off a points defeat to Mexico’s Gabriela “La Bonita” Sanchez in Mexico in April.

She had challenged the Mexican for her World Boxing Council Silver flyweight title. After a fine start, breaking Sanchez’ nose in the second round, the home girl eventually overwhelmed the South African boxer to retain her title on points victory at the Ignacio Zamora Stadium in Puebla, Mexico.

That’s now water under the bridge as Hadebe and her manager Colleen McAusland, who has managed Hadebe since 2018, are now focused on the WBO African belt.

McAusland is upbeat on Hadebe’s eight-round bout with the Nigerian.

“Smash is a world class fighter, the WBO Africa title will help her climb up in ranking again,” said McAusland.

“Smash was ranked third by Boxrec but losing to Sanchez in Mexico took her down to 9th. I’m confident Smash will get back to the top three again to fight for a world title if given the opportunities in South Africa.”

Commenting on the fight, Smash, who turned pro in 2016 without boxing as an amateur, said she’s looking forward to a resounding victory.

“History is being made, for the first time two female boxers vying for the WBO Africa title,” the 31-year-old Hadebe told boxersworld.co.ke.

“I’m very excited as well as humbled, honoured, and happy at the same time. This can only be the first of many.

“I don’t know much about my Nigerian opponent, but I do know that she’s unbeaten and she’s southpaw. The rest will be in the ring. I’m definitely confident of winning this WBO Africa title with my home supporters behind me.

“I’m a very patient person, and I do know and believe that everything happens at the right time, not the time that I want it to happen. I need more opportunities to fight in my country to prove to South Africans that I can be and will be a world champion given the opportunity.”

Hadebe, the reigning South African and ABU flyweight champion, believes the best is yet to come.

“I want to achieve more than what I’ve achieved at this stage in my life. And I do know I’m capable to own more titles than I have now.”

For promoter Thanya, her second promotion offers her another opportunity to show her managerial capacity as she aims to become one of the best South African female promoters.

“We female promoters have the capability to rise to the top but our main challenge is lack of sponsors, I call upon corporates in South Africa to give us all the support we need because we’re also creating opportunities for our boxers to make a living through pro boxing.”

We wish Thanya and her co-promoters plus the boxers all the best in Friday’s card.

VAN DER VORST EXITS, OPENS RACE FOR WB LEADERSHIP 

The first president of World Boxing will not seek a second term. His tenure, marked by organisational chaos, controversial policies and financial scrutiny, opens the race to three high-profile candidates, including ring legends Golovkin and Klitschko, and administrator Mariolis.

In a letter dated 18 September 2025, Boris Van der Vorst informed the presidents of all the affiliated national federations, citing the relentless demands of leading the breakaway organisation and years of international travel as the reasons for his decision. “My tenure as president has been rewarding and inspiring, but also relentless,” he wrote. Sources indicate that the International Olympic Committee tacitly approved his exit.

Van der Vorst was elected as the first president of World Boxing in 2023, after the breakaway federation was formed when the International Boxing Association lost its IOC recognition amid corruption allegations. His mandate focused on securing boxing’s Olympic future beyond the Paris 2024 Games. Under his leadership, World Boxing expanded to encompass over 120 national federations and obtained provisional recognition from the IOC, thereby ensuring the inclusion of the sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Despite these achievements, Van der Vorst’s tenure has been controversial. In May 2025, World Boxing introduced mandatory sex testing for all competitors, which affected Paris Olympic gold medallist Imane Khelif, who was barred from competing unless she underwent such a test. Days later, Van der Vorst publicly apologised for singling her out, acknowledging in a letter to the president of the Algerian Boxing Federation that more could have been done to protect her privacy. Khelif has since appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

French female boxers were also excluded from the inaugural World Boxing Championships in Liverpool for missing the testing deadline. The French Boxing Federation criticised the policy as unlawful under French law, which prohibits genetic testing without a medical prescription. They also accused Van der Vorst personally of ‘betrayal.

The financial sustainability of the organisation has also been questioned. World Boxing has relied on a $250,000 (€212,000) loan from USA Boxing, with repayment terms extending to 2029. A February 2025 audit described the federation as ‘overleveraged’ based on 2024 operations. Weeks later, the IOC granted provisional recognition, citing multi-year commercial partnerships, including deals with the merchandising and kit supplier Sting, Nike Boxing and Exceed Boxing, a newly formed Dutch events and marketing company. Despite scepticism regarding Exceed Boxing’s limited track record, Van der Vorst defended the deal as being essential to the organisation’s stability.

The November presidential elections will feature three candidates. Gennadiy Golovkin, the president of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee and a 2004 Olympic silver medallist and two-time middleweight world champion, is widely seen as the frontrunner. He was appointed president of a new Olympic Commission within World Boxing in September 2024.

Former heavyweight world champion and 1996 Atlanta Olympic gold medallist Wladimir Klitschko is also standing. The Ukrainian retired from boxing in 2017, but has considered making a comeback to the ring in 2025. His candidacy signals his desire to influence the governance of the sport.

The third candidate is Haris Mariolis, president of the Hellenic Boxing Federation. Since July, he has been working to secure support from national federations, prominent sports figures and institutional bodies. He is positioning himself as a managerial alternative to the two legends, emphasising his governance experience and organisational competence.

According to World Boxing’s Election Process and Voting Regulations, all candidates will be evaluated by an independent panel based on publicly available information. The panel comprises three external experts with no prior ties to World Boxing and is supported by Sport Resolutions, a UK-based provider of arbitration and mediation services for sport. The final list of eligible candidates will be published at least 30 days before the vote.

The new president will face several immediate challenges, including restoring confidence among athletes and national federations, ensuring compliance with international sports law, and consolidating World Boxing’s position as the IOC-recognised governing body. They will also oversee preparations for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, while expanding World Boxing’s global reach.

Van der Vorst leaves behind a mixed legacy. Although he secured provisional IOC recognition and expanded World Boxing’s membership, his tenure was defined by disputes over athlete rights, gender testing policies and financial transparency. Critics argue that the federation now needs a leader who can balance commercial interests with ethical governance.

With the countdown to the November elections underway, the boxing world is watching closely. The outcome could determine the future leadership of World Boxing and the direction of Olympic boxing over the next decade.

Courtesy insidethegames.biz

The two top African middleweights will renew their rivalry in Nairobi next month with the DR Congo boxer declaring total war against Okong’o who says he’ll beat Tshama and then invite him for ugali at his home in Embakasi

The middleweight fight between Kenya’s Edwin Okong’o and DR Congo’s David Tshama will provide an appetising menu in the Africa Zone 3 Championships scheduled for Nairobi from October 15-25, 2025.

Tshama has defeated Okong’o twice in the 2021 and 2022 Africa Zone 3 tournaments at home in Kinshasa, and is now brimming with confidence ahead of the Nairobi bonanza.

“Edwin is my good friend and a very tough fighter but I beat him twice in Kinshasa he should be ready for another defeat at home,” Tshama told boxersworld.co.ke from Johannesburg where he’s preparing for the Zone 3 Championships.

Tshama went on:”I know Edwin’s game now I’ll beat him like a punchbag, he’s taller than me, he keeps on moving I find it difficult to get him but this time I have a new technique I have been taught in Johannesburg, he will cry at home I’m telling him and he should stop running away from me.”

Okong’o laughed off Tshama’s threats reminding him he’s now fighting at home so the DR Congo boxer should be prepared for a hammering.

While the reigning African Games middleweight champion accepts Tshama won their second fight, the first one in 2021 was 50/50.

“The second fight I lost that one I agree but the first one could have gone either way,” says Okong’o, adding:”In Nairobi I will hit Tshama, I’ll then take him to visit our National Park like a tourist and my home in Embakasi we eat ugali and fish he’s my good friend but that ends briefly in the ring.”

Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) Communication Director, Duncan Kuria aka Sugar Ray, shares his views on the last fight between Okong’o and Tshama. He watched the fight in Kinshasa.

“I think Tshama won because he was fighting at home, he did not find his range and struggled throughout the fight. In the forthcoming Zone 3 boxing championships in Nairobi, it will be a very tough fight that I expect Okong’o to win on points.”

Tshama is three-time Zone 3 middleweight champion, twice African title holder, seven-time Lubumbashi and Katanga champion and five times national champion and won ABU belt when he ventured into pro boxing in 2021.

The DR Congo hard-hitting boxer says he has gained a lot during his one-month training stint in Johannesburg, South Africa, preparing for the Africa Zone 3 Championships alongside his teammate, three-time Africa champion Pita Kabeji.

Tshama was born 29 years ago in Lubumbashi, the second largest city in DR Congo.

Okong’o, a cousin to former national team captain Nick Okoth, made his international debut in 2018. He has risen steadily to become one of Kenya’s most reliable boxers during major international competitions.

His most significant achievement was at the 2024 African Games in Accra where he outpointed Morocco’s Yassine Elouarz in the final to win East Africa’s first gold medal in 17 years in the continental games. The Moroccan boxer eliminated Tshama in his earlier fights in Accra.

For that remarkable feat, Okong’o was promoted to the rank of Sergeant by the Commander of Kenya Air Force Major General John Omenda.

A total of 16 countries from Africa are now members of World Boxing but some still remain in International Boxing Assocition because IBA allows dual membership

Kenya, Senegal and Libya are the latest African countries to join World Boxing but Kenya and other countries still remain in the International Boxing Association (IBA) which allows dual membership.

The total number of African countries now affiliated to WB is 16.

They are Algeria, Central African Republic, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.

The affiliation of the three African countries is among the eight latest entrants approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing to take its membership to 125 countries.

The eight new members are spread across four continents and include: Slovenian Boxing Federation (Slovenia); National Boxing Federation of North Macedonia (Macedonia); Qatar Boxing Federation (Qatar); Libyan Boxing Federation (Libya); Senegalese Boxing Federation (Senegal); Nicaraguan Amateur Boxing Federation (Nicaragua), Kenya (Boxing Federation of Kenya); and the Ukrainian National Federation (Ukraine).

Each new National Federations have completed a rigorous application process to join World Boxing. They are deemed to be in good standing and, through their statutes and operating processes, able to demonstrate a transparent and open election process, the existence and operation of WADA-recognised anti-doping polices and processes, evidence of independent, structured, dispute resolution and appeals processes, formal recognition by either their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry for Sport and a solid national and international boxing programme.

Under World Boxing’s Statutes, the approval of the Executive Board means the seven new National Federations have been endorsed for membership. Final approval of membership status can only be conferred by Congress, which is the ultimate authority of World Boxing, and will be voted on at its next Congress which is scheduled to take place in New Delhi in November 2025.

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 with a mission to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. It held its first formal meeting with the IOC in May 2024 and on 25 February 2025, it was granted provisional recognition by the IOC as the International Federation (IF) within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level.

KDF have the last laugh in the seesaw battle between the soldiers and cops in the Kenya National Boxing League

Courageous Police boxer Humphrey “Jakababa” Ochieng survived two standing counts in his fourth consecutive defeat to ruthless Robert Okaka aka Man Man Ngori in the finals of the Kenya National Boxing League third leg at Nakuru’s Madison Square Garden on Saturday, September 20.

Jakababa was expected to rise to the occasion to chalk up his first win over Okaka but the two-time Africa light-heavyweight bronze medallist proved tactically superior, smartly feinting attack with his shoulders before landing his effective right punch which exploded severally on Jakababa’s head and body, resulting in two standing counts in the first and third rounds.

A head-on clash in the second round opened a gash above Okaka’s right eye. The bout was stopped briefly for the ringside doctor to check on the cut before allowing the KDF soldier to continue with his relentless assault on Jakababa who remained upbeat after the defeat.

“In life you can go down many times but NEVER GIVE UP,” said Jakababa likely to be in the Zone 3 team with Okaka.

This is Okaka’s fourth consecutive victory over Jakababa. He now has an option to move down to middleweight or climb up to heavyweight but he’ll encounter stiff opposition from the rulers of the two divisions, African Games middleweight champion Edwin Okong’o and Mbotela product Peter “The Beast” Abuti who has proved to be Kenya’s top heavyweight. Abuti didn’t fight for lack of an opponent. I hope the KDF team received the three points because it wasn’t Abuti’s fault to miss an opponent. He was ready to fight but there was no heavyweight to challenge him.

Okong’o won all his fights inside the distance and in the finals he stopped Kibra’s Ken Omollo in the second round.

The most entertaining and tactical fights of the night were in the light-welterweight and light-middleweight divisions.

Nakuru County’s glamour boy Caleb Wandera found his match in Nairobi’s brilliant southpaw Wiseman Kavondu who put up a gutsy show withstanding Wandera’s heavy punches that saw Kavoundu receiving a standing eight count in the second round courtesy of Wandera’s stinging short right uppercut. Wandera carried the day on a 2-1 victory in this evenly matched and well contested bout. In my opinion, the two boxers should be in Kenya’s two teams for the Africa Zone 3 Championships or one of them moves up to welterweight. Kudos Wandera and Kavondu.

Africa light-middleweight champion, Boniface “The Hammer” Mogunde was fully stretched by Nairobis Francis Lennox in a toe-to-toe exchange that in which both boxers excelled offensively and defensively.

The experienced Mogunde switched to body attacks in the third round. A digging right to the ribs had Lennox down to the canvas on his right knee for an eight count followed shortly by another eight count as Mogunde realised Lennox could not withstand body punches on his way to a unanimous points victory.

With this hard-fought win, Mogunde maintained his seven-year unbeaten run locally. He acknowledged the Nairobi boxer’s valiant show.

“I’ll be happy to be with Lennox in the national team, I need such kind of tough fighters to be able to improve myself he’s a very good boxer,” Mogunde told boxersworld.co.ke after the fight.

In a show of true sportsmanship, Mogunde had a brief chat with Lennox encouraging him to keep on working harder reminding him he’s a worthy successor.

KDF’s reigning Africa Military Games bantamweight champion Dennis Muthama maintained his impressive performance stopping Emmanuel Odhiambo of G44 in the first round after seeing off Africa bronze medallist Shaffi Bakari on Thursday.

Muthama has sharpened a snapping right punch which seems to be his main weapon now.

In the women’s fights, African Games bronze medallist Amina Martha Faki maintained her unbeaten run locally by punishing Mombasa’s brave Mercy Fridah in all the three rounds enroute to a unanimous points win.

Boxgirls’ promising international flyweight Lencer Akinyi lost 2-1 to Nairobi’s Faith Nafula who made her international debut in the 2024 Africa Elite Championships in Kinshasa, DR Congo.

The finals were graced by Nakuru County’s charming Sports CS Elgah Riaga. She promised to support Nakuru’s boxers regain their lost glory. What a fight night it was for the women in boxing as Riaga posed for a picture session in the with the female R&Js and the boxers. Hi-Fiver to Riagah, Technical Delegate Isaac Mbote and R&Js Evaluator Mwangi Muthoga who officiated for 36 years before calling it quits in 2018.

Defending champions KDF won the third leg of the Kenya National Boxing League with 23 points followed by Kenya Police 15 points, Nairobi County 9, Nakuru ABC 8 and fifth-placed Prisons 6.

After the third leg of the league, focus now turns to the Africa Zone 3 Championships in Nairobi from October 15-25.

National team head coach Musa Benjamin and his deputy David Munuhe were in Nakuru. I’m sure they must have spotted some worthy national team call ups to beef up the two teams to represent Kenya in the highly anticipated Africa Zone 3 Championships.