It's all smiles as Boxing Federation of Kenya President Anthony Otieno Ombok aka Jamal (standing) is re-elected through acclamation for another four-year term during BFK's Annual General Meeting in Nairobi on March 1, 2025.
BFK TO STAGE CHAMPIONS NIGHT, DR CONGO COMING TO NAIROBI AND SERBIA TRIP IS ON.
Jamal and team re-elected for another four-year term as Kenya’s boxing prospects look brighter.
“No retreat no surrender, we’re confidently marching on, let the social media parrots continue with their noise,” says Competition Secretary John Waweru.
A colourful boxing tournament with all the showbiz razzmatuzz is in the offing in Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi this year.
And plans are underway for DR Congo’s national boxing team to battle Kenya this year in Nairobi with more inter-county tournaments planned countrywide.
Anxiety over Kenya’s participation in Women’s World Boxing Championships is quashed. The eight women boxers selected will travel to Nis, Serbia.
Announcing Kenya’s version of Champions’ Night after being re-elected through acclamation during BFK’s AGM on Saturday, March 1, President Anthony Otieno Ombok aka Jamal said they intend to stage a grand boxing event never before witnessed in Kenya.
Power to the people…Secretary-General David Munuhe oozing confidence
“We have been promised enough support to organise our Champions’ Night to bring together Kenya’s top boxers both male and female,” said Jamal and also confirmed Kenya’s national women’s team will take part in the World Championships in Serbia from March 8-16.
“Our federation is impressed by the progress made by our women, so we will continue exposing them.”
I’m here to stay come rain come shine..kitaeleweka…Treasurer Musa Benjamin.
Jamal thanked the government for their wholehearted support for Kenya’s teams taking part in major international boxing tournaments.
“We appreciate highly the support by our government under our beloved President William Ruto for doing their best to ensure we don’t miss out on big tournaments,” Jamal told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview.
He confirmed the eagerly awaited tour by DR Congo’s national team is on but they’ve yet to decide on the dates.
The BFK supremo assured current and former international boxers the federation recognizes their achievements, urging them to work hard and ignore petty politics and negativity vibes from prophets of doom.
“I’m also planning to meet former international boxers to discuss with them a wide range of issues, let them know that BFK appreciates their achievements for our country.”
Jamal reiterated BFK’s commitment to junior and youth boxing development, saying they also intend to revive school boxing.
“The future is very bright in Kenya boxing,” said Jamal who however accepted they have not done well in bringing sponsors on board and exposing Kenyan boxers.
“That’s one area we have to put a lot of effort to see that sponsors support boxing as this will enable us expose our boxers in some of the international tournaments in Europe and Asia.”
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Olympics bronze medallist Ibrahim “Surf” Bilali is one of the three members comprising BFK’s executive committee.
The entire BFK team re-elected through acclamation at Kasarani Stadion Hotel is as follows:
President: Anthony Otieno Ombok aka Jamal (Kisumu)
1st Vice-President: Lydia Kinyua (Laikipia)
2nd Vice-President: Chrispine Onyango (Mombasa)
Secretary-General: David Munuhe (Police)
Assistant Secretary-General: Joseph Ochieng (Siaya)
A memorable 2024 season for BFK's President Anthony Otieno Ombok aka Jamal (left) holding national boxing league winners trophy with KDF's vice-chairman Paul Mungori at the Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay.
BFK’S SUCCESS SCARES AWAY NOISY OPPONENTS IN AGM
“Our opponents are big cowards, they’re just keyboard warriors known for their noise on social media,” said a defiant Competition Secretary John Waweru.
Kenyan boxers and coaches savour Boniface Mogunde’s gold medal (third left) in the 2024 AFBC African Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships in Kinshasa, DR Congo
Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) President Anthony Otieno Ombok aka Jamal and his entire executive are set to retain their positions on walkovers in the Annual General Meeting on Saturday (March 1, 2025) at Kasarani Stadion Hotel from 10am.
Reason? They have no opponents to challenge them despite constant criticism from a section of the boxing fraternity on their performance.
Boxing analysts were focusing on a fierce battle for Jamal’s team in their bid for another term in office but as at 6pm on Friday, February 28, no candidate had announced challenging the incumbents whose success must have scared away their opponents.
Outspoken BFK Competition Secretary John Waweru aka CS is in a bullish mood, describing their critics as paper tigers and keyboard warriors whose punches cannot hurt even a cockroach.
“They’ve been making a lot of noise on social media but where are they now to challenge us? Big cowards,” said Waweru, adding: “I’ve been telling them to strategise for the last two years, and they should know that elections are not won on WhatsApp forums but through persuading the voters who are not on social media, if they’re men enough why can’t they face us in the elections?
Waweru likened the noisy opposition to boxers who show a lot of promise in the gym during shadow boxing but coil their tail on the actual competition day never to be seen even at the venue until the tournament is over is when again they start displaying their shadow boxing skills in the gym.
“It’s very easy for them to punch shadows but when faced by real opponents in the ring they are scared stiff,” said Waweru himself a former boxer.
Waweru said a total of 31 counties including Kenya Defence Forces and Kenya Police will take part in the elections.
Competition Secretary John Waweru is one of BFK’s most influential officials.
Prisons and Nakuru will be missing in action. The former have yet to be registered as per the Sports Act while Nakuru have been kept aside following their abortive county elections last Saturday amidst complaints from BFK’s challengers who cited several unsubstantiated irregularities.
The deadline for all candidates to submit their nomination forms was on February 28 at 6pm.
“Our opponents will have to remain in the cold for the next four years until our term expires, however we welcome more noise from them since it’s their right to express their views on social media as they usually do,” said Waweru.
He went on: “We are always open to objective criticism, we can’t be 100 percent perfect but we know we have not done badly, for those who cannot see our achievements that’s their choice we are not doing anything to please anybody, what we want to see is progress of our boxers, coaches, R&Js and overall management of boxing.”
Jamal and team were elected in 2019 taking over from President John Kameta-led Boxing Association of Kenya (BAK) whose legacy is acquiring Sportspesa sponsorship for the national league.
Jamal and team inherited a financially wobbling BAK, changing the name to Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) to have their own identity.
Taking over leadership with nothing in the federation’s bank account coupled with the country’s flagging fortunes in the ring from early 90s, Jamal and team had their work cut out.
But the Bahati-bred Jamal took the bull by the horns leading from the front, and so far they have managed to patch up Kenya’s dented image with a string of remarkable performances at the international level in Africa, empowering coaches, referees and judges as well as exposing more female boxers at the big stage.
What’s more, BFK last December achieved a major milestone in Kenya’s boxing history with the first ever live commentary of the Kenya National Boxing League in Homa Bay in the Western Kenya Region. The livestream will be maintained in this year’s national league season to be viewed on BFK’s YouTube Channel. Several sponsors are reportedly keen to team up with BFK in the coverage which was applauded by boxing fans throughout the country and endeared them to diehard boxing followers and would-be sponsors.
Soon after taking over office, Jamal and team landed running, scooping five medals in the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco. Shaffi Bakari, a product of coach Lemmy “Cobra” Katibi, a former international, won flyweight silver while welterweight Boniface Mogunde, middleweight George Cosby Ouma, heavyweight Elly Adero and US-based super-heavyweight Fred Ramogi returned home with four bronze medals.
The Kenyan national team – under head coach Musa Benjamin assisted by David Munuhe and John Waweru – was on fire in the 2022 season, finishing second in the Zone 3 Championships in Kinshasa, DR Congo with six gold, five silver and seven bronze medals, and claimed three silvers and one bronze in the AFBC African Men’s and Women’s Championships in Maputo, Mozambique.
Kenya’s national team head coach and treasurer Musa Benjamin and secretary general David Munuhe in red shirt at Homa Bay. They are all set to retain their positions on walkovers in BFK’s elections.
What’s even more astonishing in the Kinshasa success is that of the six gold medallists, three were female boxers, light-welterweight Teresia Wanjiru, welterweight Everline Akinyi and middleweight Liz Andiego.
Andiego was at it again in Maputo leading two others, featherweight Sam Njau and lightweight Nick Okoth to the finals. They stumbled in the last hurdle winning three silvers and a bronze from light-middleweight Boniface Mogunde.
That was not all. Andiego stamped her name in the record books by becoming the first Kenyan female boxer to appear in the quarter-finals of Women’s World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.
Andiego made it twice in a row in the 2023 Women’s Worlds in New Delhi, India appearing in the quarter-finals again. This year in Serbia, the evergreen warhorse Liz is poised to make it to the semi-finals. Christine Ongare also made a mark in India becoming the second female Kenyan boxer to win a bout after Mary Muthoni in 2010 Women’s Worlds in Barbados.
The 2024 season was nothing but super-duper for the Kenyan boxers. Boniface Mogunde won Kenya’s first ever gold medal in seven years in the Africa Championships in Kinshasa where he outpointed Burundi’s Nestor Nduwarugira in the light-middleweight final. The win steered the Kenyans to a remarkable third place with one gold, two silvers by Andiego and super- heavyweight debutant Clinton Macharia and five bronzes by flyweight Abednego Kyalo, bantamweight Amina Martha, featherweight Shaffi Bakari, light-welterweight Vincent Ochieng and light-heavyweight Robert Okaka. That was Kenya’s best ever performance in the Africa Championships since 1983 in Kampala.
Earlier in 2024 during the inaugural Mandela African Boxing Cup tournament, Liz Andiego won middleweight gold with an upset points victory over two-time Africa champion Rady Gramane of Mozambique.
Andiego’s success was followed by another stellar show by Amina Martha and middleweight Edwin Okong’o in the African Games in Accra, Ghana. Yet Kenya was represented by a skeleton team of only four boxers. Amina’s bronze was Kenya’s first ever medal by a female boxer in the African Games while Okong’o won the first gold medal by an East African boxer in 17 years in the African Games.
The Kenyan federation put the icing on the cake to what was their most successful ever season by holding R&Js and coaches courses in Nairobi to ensure the East African country is not left behind in empowering the technical officials whose role is crucial in the development of boxing.
Kudos also to BFK’s Communication Director Duncan Kuria aka Sugar Ray and roving photographer Oppo DiCaprio for using the social media effectively to make the Kenyan boxers more visible to the world. Their lovely photos and videos have come in handy in BFK’s YouTube Channel not to mention the boxers’ frequent appearances in local TV stations that has further enhanced the image of boxing. The sport is one of the two most successful Kenyan disciplines on the international scene after track and field.
Under the dynamic leadership of BFK’s humble and naturally generous President Jamal and his hard working team at the national and county level, there’s every reason to believe BFK’s second term in office will be more prosperous. This further underlines the federation’s ambitious plans of uplifting the standards of this combat sport through their grassroots initiative popularly known as Ndondi Mashinani. The initiative encompasses a systematic approach to junior and youth boxing. That’s the backbone of boxing development in any ambitious country keen on stamping authority in world boxing.
Who is who in the current BFK executive?
President: Anthony Otieno Ombok aka Jamal (Kisumu)
1st Vice-President: Lydia Kinyua (Laikipia)
2nd Vice-President: Chrispine Onyango (Mombasa)
Secretary-General: David Munuhe (Police)
Assistant Secretary-General: Joseph Ochieng (Siaya)
Africa’s boxing fraternity keenly awaits the verdict of IBA on the troubled and deeply divided Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC).
The Dubai meeting between the two warring factions ended in disarray with no truce achieved.
The tug-of-war between the two groups battling for the control of amateur boxing in Africa has not gone down well with the boxers, serious stakeholders and IBA which is reportedly irked by the unprofessional conduct of some AFBC leaders.
In a last ditch effort to assist the AFBC put their house in order, the IBA invited the two warring factions – one led by DRC’s strongman Ilunga Luyoyo and the other one by Ethiopian businessman Eyassu Berhanu – for a meeting in Dubai but it turned out to be a wasted effort and time as well because they exported their differences to Dubai. Nothing was achieved.
It’s now upon the IBA to decide on the appropriate action to bring back sanity to the beleaguered African boxing body.
Various African boxers have been contacting boxersworld.co.ke eager to know what’s happening at AFBC.
They’re tired and fed up of the ongoing circus hoping the IBA will not delay to announce their eagerly awaited verdict on the fate of AFBC which they feel has underperformed.
The boxers are wondering what’s all this power struggle about yet as the main actors their welfare has been overlooked by the AFBC barons.
One sticking issue is unpaid prize money of boxers from Mozambique, Zambia and Algeria at the 2022 Africa Championships in Maputo.
DEFENCE FORCES AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION HOLDS TROPHY PRESENTATION CEREMONY
On February 26, 2025, the Defence Forces Amateur Boxing Association(DEFABA) hosted a trophy presentation ceremony at Jamhuri Park, to celebrate the team’s winning of the National Boxing League for the 2024 season. It was also an event to honour the outstanding achievements of DEFABA boxers.
Sponsored by Defence Sacco(DESACCO), the event celebrated the remarkable performances of boxers who represented the country in major international competitions, including the 2024 All-African games in Accra, Ghana, the All-Africa Military Games in Abuja, and the All-Africa Boxing Championships.
The ceremony brought together senior military Officers, boxing federation representatives, DEFABA executive committee, and sports enthusiasts, all gathered to recognize the dedication and triumphs of the nation’s finest amateur boxers. The athletes were commended for their exemplary performances, which brought pride to the country and underscored the Defence Forces’ commitment to nurturing sporting talent.
In his opening remarks, Brigadier B J Korir, Chairman DEFABA, praised the boxers for their hardwork, resilience, and patriotism. He remarked that the boxers had brought immense pride to the team while exemplifying exceptional discipline and commitment. He highlighted their success on the continental stage as clear proof of the Defence Forces’ dedication to sports development. He also urged the boxers to uphold the values of the Kenya Defence Forces and represent it in every aspect possible.
Among the awardees was Sergeant Edwin Okongo, who clinched a gold medal at the All-Africa Military Games, showcasing exceptional skill and determination. Other notable honourees included Corporal Kelvin Maina, who also secured a gold medal, and Spte Robert Okaka, who got a bronze medal in the All-Africa Military Games and All-Africa Boxing Championships, respectively.
Additionally, the event highlighted the upcoming participation of three female KDF boxers and one civilian in the World Boxing Championship set to take place in Belgrade, Serbia. Their qualification for the prestigious global tournament reflects the growing prominence of Kenyan boxing and the Defence Forces’ continuous efforts to promote the sport.
Beyond celebrating past victories, the event also served as a source of inspiration for upcoming boxers within the Defence Forces, encouraging them to strive for excellence in the sport. DEFABA reaffirmed its commitment to providing world-class training, state-of- the-art facilities, and international exposure to ensure continued success in future tournaments.
As the ceremony came to an end, the athletes expressed their gratitude for the recognition and pledged to continue flying the national flag high in upcoming competitions. The event underscored the significance of sports in fostering unity, discipline and national pride within the Defence Forces.
Ellen Simwaka (far right) with South African champion Bukiwe Beeksy Nonina (middle) and far left is Simwaka's sister Adidya Mimu who fights on March 15 top pic with pink shorts
SIMWAKA SETS SIGHTS ON IBF WORLD TITLE
Ellen “The Tigress” Simwaka, Malawi’s renowned female boxer, is aiming for IBF world title in the 2025 season.
Simwaka, who is currently based in South Africa, holds the IBF Africa championship and Africa and WBF international title, with a record of 22 fights, 13 wins, 7 losses, and 2 draws.
In an interview, She expressed her desire to take on more challenging opponents this year, and if possible vie for the IBF world title.
“I want to fight Zimbabwe’s Kudakwashe Chiwandire, Angelina Lukas (Kazakhstan) and Shurretta Metcalf (USA) who is the current IBF world champion,” she said.
Simwaka is ready to vie for IBF world title despite facing challenges in securing a fight with Shurretta.
“I have been challenging Shurretta, but it seems she is avoiding me. We’ve exchanged words on Facebook, but now I want to meet her in the ring,” she added.
“I’m eager to fight in Malawi, we’re looking for a good promoter to stage the bout,” she added.
Simwaka offered words of encouragement to aspiring Malawian female boxers.
“Being a female boxer is not easy, but it takes a lot of effort to get where we are. What matters most is patience, hard work, and dedication,” said Simwaka.
IOC GRANTS PROVISIONAL RECOGNITION TO WORLD BOXING
The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally recognised World Boxing (WB) as the International Federation (IF) within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level, during a remote meeting held today.
Following an assessment of the situation of World Boxing, it was noted that, among the criteria for recognition that the IF has satisfied, World Boxing:
With regard to the sports criteria:
is composed of 78 National Federations from the five continents; and four continental confederations are already established;
has provided evidence that 62 per cent of the boxers and 58 per cent of the boxing medallists at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 are affiliated to National Federations that are members of World Boxing;
applies the sports integrity process implemented during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 by the Paris Boxing Unit, including with independent oversight; and
has obtained AIMS membership, as approved by the SportAccord Executive Committee and the AIMS General Assembly;
With regard to the governance criteria:
has put in place the structure and documentation for good governance (including the World Boxing Code of Ethics, Conflict of Interest Policy and declaration form, Anti-Corruption Policy, and Finance and Audit Committee Terms of Reference), and has demonstrated strong willingness and effort in enhancing good governance and implementation, to be compliant with the appropriate standards;
has provided assurance with regard to its revenue-generating process on the basis of multi-year commercial partnership agreements covering the period 2025-2028;
has recognised CAS jurisdiction; and
has successfully applied for World Anti-Doping Code Signatory Status, which has been accepted by WADA, and the World Boxing contract with the ITA is fully implemented.
The assessment concluded that World Boxing has continued to make progress regarding the identified areas of consideration in order to be recommended for IOC Provisional Recognition as the IF within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level.
MOROCCAN FEMALE BOXERS TRAINING IN MONTENEGRO FOR SERBIA WORLD TOURNAMENT
Defending world heavyweight champion Khadija Mardi
Morocco are aiming to surpass their impressive performance in last year’s Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, India.
The Moroccans have pitched camp in Budva, Montenegro, for this year’s Women’s Worlds in Nis, Serbia between March 8-16.
Team manager Nabil Hilmi, who is now the vice-president of Royal Moroccan Boxing Federation (FRMB), said they will train in Budva for two weeks ahead of the World Championships.
Hlimi said Morocco will be represented by eight boxers in Serbia among them their star pugilists in the 2023 Worlds in New Delhi, Khadija Mardi and Yasmin Mouttaki. Mardi became the first Arab and African female boxer to win a gold medal in the World Championships and Mouttaki settled for bronze.
“They have taken part in a build-up tournament in Belgrade, now they’re training in Budva before the competition,” said Hlimi.
World bronze medallist Yasmin Mouttaki
In addition to defending heavyweight champion Mardi and Mouttaki, other boxers in the team are minimumweight Rabab Cheddar, flyweight Imane Azami, two-time Africa bantamweight champion and Paris Olympics quarter-finalist Wydad Bertal, welterweight Mounia Toutir, light-middleweight Saida Lahmidi and light-heavweight Hasna Larti.
Cuba’s Juan Carlos is the head coach assisted by Barki Ahmed.
Philip Mathenge (right) outpoints Tanzania's Lucas Musomba in the light-welterweight Fescaaba finals to win one of the nine gold medals for Kenya at the KICC, Nairobi in 1976.
NENEZ BOXING ARCHIVE: The late Philip “PC” Mathenge, who passed on this month, shot to prominence in the 1972 Kenya Open tournament at Pumwani Social Hall, Nairobi.
Philip Mathenge the soldier
Philip “PC” Mathenge was one of the rising stars who announced their arrival in the competitive and exceptionally challenging boxing scene then in the East African nation during the 1972 Kenya Open Championships at Pumwani Social Hall.
He punched his way to the finals outpointing Mombasa’s Yunis Sebby in a thrilling light-welterweight bout.
Nakuru ABC, popularly known as Madison Square Garden, is where Philip Mathenge learnt his trade before moving to Kenya Prisons and later KDF.
In addition to Mathenge and Sebby, among other newcomers who made their presence felt were coach Eddie “Papa” Musi’s sensation who shook legengary Philip Waruinge in the Munich Olympics trials, George Oduori named the Best Boxer for putting up a textbook show in the featherweight finals, light-flyweight Peter Ndirangu and another new talent from Nakuru ABC lightweight Edward Kinuthua who caused an upset by defeating fancied Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Kamau Mbugua in the semi-finals and then beat Sammy Kirangu in the finals.
After the Kenya Open, the next big event was the Lagos African Games trials at Pumwani Social Hall. Mathenge was among the boxers selected in the crowded light-welterweight division that had an array of strong boxers among them Yunis Sebby, Boniface Kahoro, and long-serving international Alex Omwomo aka Wachawe or if you like Jack Malloy.
Mathenge was however unsuccessful in the African Games trials. Omwomo, who was beaten by Yunis Sebby in the Kenya Open, bounced back to clinch the Lagos ticket for the 1973 African Games with a hard-fought points win in the finals over Kenya Navy sailor Boniface Kahoro now based in the USA.
Three-time Kings Cup champion Kamau “Pipino” Wanyoike shocked Philip Mathenge in the 1975 Inter-Services Tournament.
Mathenge may not have made it in Kenya’s team for the African Games but his impressive boxing had his opponents in the light-welterweight berth sit up and take notice. They all knew the smart Nakuru boxer – a busy bee in the ring with a repertoire of non-stop onslaught and a smashing jab – was waiting in the wings to don the national vest.
It was not easy though to penetrate through to the Kenya team as Mathenge realised due to the stiff competition during that Golden Era in Kenya boxing.
For the inaugural Urafiki Trophy first leg match against Uganda in May 1973, it was Boniface Kahoro who was selected in the light-welterweight berth.
Others in the Kenya team included Prisons Boxing Club light-flyweight debutant Mohamed Hassan, flyweight George Findo, bantamweight Billy Kiremi, featherweight George Oduori, welterweight John Opiyo, light-middleweight David Attan, middleweight Joseph Kabegi, light-heavyweight Peter Dula and heavyweight Fred “Sachi” Sabat. Urafiki Trophy replaced Brunner-Urafiki Cup formerly Millington Drake Trophy contest between Kenya and Uganda.
The Ugandans, then the reigning Commonwealth Games and Africa champions, hammered Kenya 8-3 bouts at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium. Among the highlights, light-flyweight Baker Muwanga – featuring in his second international tournament after winning bronze in Romania – outpointed Kenya’s Mohammed Hassan, featherweight George Oduori lost to Ayub Kalule and light-heavyweight Mathias Ouma edged out Peter Dula 3-2 at light-heavyweight while Kenya’s heavyweight Fred Sabat stopped debutant Ocen in the first round.
Mathenge had another shot at the national team during the Fescaaba trials at the Desai Memorial Hall but was KO’d in the first round by Karilus Owino of Breweries.
As the national team embarked on preparations for the return leg match of the Urafiki Trophy against Uganda in November, 1973, the Amateur Boxing Association of Kenya, under the chairmanship of Brigadier Cromwell Mkungusi and Secretary-General Cornelius Monteiro, named 24 boxers to go into residential training at the Railways Training College (now Railways Training Institute) with Ali Akubasu picked as coach and trainer Eddie “Papa” Musi. Railways Training Institute supported the ABA with full board accommodation while Breweries sponsored the return leg match.
Mathenge was in the provisional team of 24 boxers with Prisons teammate Kamau Mbugua in the light-welterweight class. Mbugua moved up to pave way for George Oduori in the lightweight division. In the selection trials for Kenya vs Uganda match at Prisons Gym which mostly featured two rounds, Mbugua fought Mathenge with Mbugua winning the nod of the selectors.
Steve Muchoki, middleweight Mohammed Abdallah Kent and heavyweight Sylvester Onyango were the newcomers. Muchoki beat Peter Ndirangu, Kent had an edge over Joseph Kabegi and John Kibe of the Army and Sylvester Onyango was preferred to Sabat.
Three-time Kings Cup champion Kamau “Pipino” Wanyoike shocked Philip Mathenge in the 1975 Inter-Services Tournament.
While Muchoki and Kent made successful debuts against Uganda with Kent scoring an upset points win over the highly regarded Mustapha Wasajja, Onyango was beaten by Ben Masanda. George Oduori defeated Ayub Kalule 3-2 and Kamau Mbugua was KO’d by Vitalis Bbege in the second round of their light-welterweight duel. Kenya beat Uganda 6-5 bouts but the Ugandans won the new Urafiki Trophy by an aggregate of 35-31 points victory.
Two weeks after the Kenya vs Uganda encounter, Mathenge was back in the ring in the final Commonwealth Games trials against Uganda’s former international Peter Odhiambo who had returned home to Kenya and joined the Army. Odhiambo outpointed Mathenge in the finals but it was Mathenge eventually selected because Odhiambo was not eligible having previously represented Uganda’s national team and had not stayed in Kenya over one year.
The Soviet Union national team then came calling for the Jamhuri celebrations tournament in December, 1973. The European champions at the time first walloped Kenya 6-2 bouts at the City Stadium, flyweight George Findo and light-heavyweight Peter Dula the only two Kenyan winners.
Mombasa, Kenya’s beautiful Coastal city was the next destination for the visitors, and that’s when Mathenge finally made his international debut in the second match in Mombasa, losing his lightweight bout to southpaw Rovenbaum.
Mathenge carried the fight to the Soviet boxer in the first round which ended in a cut on Rovenbaum’s nose. The Soviet boxer recovered his poise in the remaining two rounds to carry the day. Though he lost, Mathenge put up a remarkable performance that gave the ABA of Kenya and fans more hope as focus switched to the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand in January.
Most machine guns fire between 500 to 1000 rounds per minute. Indeed, Mathenge was on fire in the Commonwealth Games with his signature non-stop flurries against his opponents, prompting a New Zealand radio commentator to coin the nickname Machine Gun for the aggressive Kenyan boxer who was a soldier with the Kenya Defence Forces.
Mathenge first outpointed Canada’s Michael Briere in the last 16 and saw off England’s Thomas Donn in the quarter-finals before going down on points to Guyana’s Anthony Martey to settle for a bronze medal. Other three Kenyan medallists were gold medallist Steve Muchoki with bantamweight Isaac Maina and featherweight Sammy Mbogwa collecting bronze medals.
The 1975 season saw the rise of promising featherweight Patrick “Mont” Waweru, bantamweight Napunyi Oduori, light-welterweights Ali “Ojukwu” Athumani and Kamau “Pipino” Wanyoike who caused a major upset in the preliminaries of Inter-Services tournament at Police Pavillion South C.
Boxing for Prisons, Wanyoike, who won the junior bantamweight title in 1973 at Pumwani Social Hall, shocked Mathenge with a deserved points win to make it to the finals.
Interestingly, Mathenge and Pipino were good buddies out of the ring, and sparred several times when Mathenge was at Prisons before moving to KDF.
“I knew PC’s style very well, what I did was to be faster than him and use my footwork moving in the right direction, he was poor at hitting a moving target,” Pipino, now a farmer at his rural home in Komothai, Kiambu Country, told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview.
Mathenge bounced back forcefully in 1976 winning light-welterweight gold medal in the East and Central Africa Championships at the KICC in Nairobi and qualified for the Montreal Olympics.
Kenya topped in the Fescaaba tournament with nine gold, a silver and bronze followed by Tanzania and Ethiopia. Uganda and Zambia pulled out due to lack of funds. In the finals, Mathenge outpointed Tanzania’s Lucas Musomba.
The rivalry between Mathenge and Wanyoike Pipino was renewed in the 1978 African Games trials at Desai Memorial Hall. This time around, Pipino was more polished than in their first encounter in 1975. The southpaw Pipino was so swift and fast dominating all the three rounds. It was sad seeing Mathenge losing again to the younger Pipino but that’s sports.
You win some and lose some. Luckily enough, the selectors recognized Mathenge’s potential and moved him up to welterweight in the Kenya team named for the African Games in Algiers, Algeria. Mathenge proved himself, bringing home one of the two bronze medals with bantamweight Douglas Maina.
Pipino and middleweight Stephen “Black Bomber” Moi won gold medals while light-flyweight Steve Muchoki, featherweight Napunyi Oduori, lightweight Michael Mwangi and heavyweight Joseph Kabegi returned home with silver medals.
Mathenge’s last major assignment with the national team was at the 1979 Africa Championships in Libya where he fought his way to the finals, dropping a suspicious points defeat to Libya’s Salah el Mehri in the finals and was content with a silver medal.
Kenya won the overall title in Libya with four gold medals (Sande Odanda, George Findo, Ali Athumani and Abdulrahman Athuman), two silvers (David “Wonderboy” Gacheru and Philip Mathenge) and one bronze medal by bantamweight Napunyi Oduori.
Kenya’s first and the only world amateur champion Steve “Destimo” Muchoki described Mathenge as an amiable teammate in the national team.
“PC was a very friendly person and an intelligent boxer. l recall when we were preparing for the 1974 world championships in Havana, I sparred severally with him and learned quite a lot from Mathenge especially how to fight with a southpaw as well as ducking and straight jabs,” said Muchoki who was one of the top boxers to attend Mathenge’s burial.
“He was not selfish and shared freely whatever he knew with us, he was not agile in his movements and not a fighter. I can say he also contributed to my success in Havana.”
I first met Mathenge at Prisons Gym when he joined the service in 1972 from the famous Nakuru ABC, and we became good buddies.
Watching him sparring with some of the top internationals at Prisons, it was obvious PC was not just your ordinary boxer. He was destined for the big stage.
Mathenge was among several of Nakuru boxers who moved to Prisons in search of greener pastures, and later switched to Kenya Defence Forces.
He was very much at home at Prisons with some of Nakuru doyens such as Olympic Games bronze medallist Sammy Mbogwa, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Kamau Mbugua, Olympic Games quarter-finalist and Africa champion John Nderu, Peter Manene and John Kamau, all of whom were employed by Prisons in the 1960s.
Mathenge joined Prisons almost the same time with another Nakuru product John “Fyatuka” Ng’ang’a.
The late Mathenge was buried on February 12, 2025 at his home in Nakuru in Kenya’s Rift Valley Region.
Fare thee well our brave comrade. You played your part in the ring and brought up your children well as a responsible father.
WBC PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES GROUNDBREAKING BOXING GRAND PRIX AT BETERBIEV vs. BIVOL II PRESS CONFERENCE
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – February 20th, 2025 – During the highly anticipated press conference for the Beterbiev vs. Bivol II fight, World Boxing Council (WBC) President Mauricio Sulaiman made a historic announcement: the launch of the Riyadh Season WBC Boxing Grand Prix. This groundbreaking tournament, a long-held dream of Jose Sulaiman, will be the first-ever Boxing World Cup, designed to discover and showcase the next generation of boxing superstars.
President Mauricio Sulaiman emphasized the crucial support of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and Dr. Rakan in making this ambitious project a reality.
“This Grand Prix is a testament to the vision and passion of my father, Jose Sulaiman,” stated President Mauricio Sulaiman.
“Fourteen months ago, the boxing world has changed due to the arrival of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh season and the leader, his Excellency Turki Alalshikh. When I had the honor to meet Turki Alalshikh, I recognized his passion for the sport and its boxers. When I shared with him my father’s dream, he said immediately, ‘Let’s make it happen.’”
“With the incredible support and vision of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Dr. Rakan, his team and Sela, we are bringing to life a tournament that will revolutionize the sport and unearth incredible new talent. This is the first ever event in which the young talents are going to have the opportunity to come out from unknown parts of the world to shine through the Grand Prix.”
The Riyadh Season WBC Boxing Grand Prix will feature:
Four Weight Categories: Featherweight, Super Lightweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight.
Adding to the prestige of the event, heavyweight boxing legend Lennox Lewis presented the “Jose Sulaiman Trophy,” also known as the Flame of Hope, which will be awarded to the Grand Prix champions. This iconic trophy symbolizes the spirit of competition and the pursuit of excellence in boxing.
The WBC Boxing Grand Prix promises to be a landmark event in the world of boxing, offering a platform for emerging talent and delivering thrilling matchups for fans worldwide. Further details regarding dates, venues, and participating athletes will be released in the coming weeks.
Dmitrii Bivol became the new Undisputed World Light Heavyweight Champion, by defeating Artur Beterbiev by majority decision, in a great fight that took place this Saturday on the card “The Last Crescendo”, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Beterbiev defeated Bivol by majority decision in the first fight last October, but this Saturday, the tables were turned by Bivol, who did a great job to win on two scorecards 116-112 and 115-113, with a third tie 114-114.
This rematch between Bivol and Beterbiev was relentless. There were 12 rounds of intense action, in which Bivol’s boxing and intelligence prevailed over Beterbiev’s drive and strength.
At the end of the fight, the Judges assessed the victory to Bivol, leaving open the possibility of a third fight.
With this result, Bivol avenged the first defeat of his professional career, leaving his record at 24-1, with 12 knockouts. Beterbiev lost his unbeaten streak, leaving his record at 21-1, with 20 knockouts.
