BOY WA MBOTELA ABUTI WARY OF SURPRISES IN THE KENYA OPEN
Peter Abuti is currently the country’s top heavyweight but he’s not taking chances in the Kenya Open Boxing Championships set for April 17-19 in Nairobi.
Since 2022 when he lost to Joshua Wasike of Police in a league match in Trans Nzoia, the 28-year-old Abuti is so far unbeaten. Wasike turned professional, and will be missing in action.
This is the first _Peter Abuti (left) battling Egypt’s Hazem Kandli in the round of 16 at the 2024 Africa Olympic Games qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal. Abuti won 5-0 but lost 3-2 to Mozambican Gabriel Albino in the quarter-finals_time Abuti is taking part in the Kenya Open Championships, the flagship event of the Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK).
A soldier with Kenya Defence Forces, Abuti is well aware that shocks and surprises are part of sports.
“I know the upcoming boxers are training singing my name because I’m the heavyweight to beat but I’m not underrating any boxer,” Abuti told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview ahead of what promises to be a fiercely fought and action-packed Kenya Open with all clubs being allowed to parade all their good boxers in each weight category.
“I expect challenges in the Kenya Open, I’m training hard ready for anything,” said Abuti.
With pro boxer Wasike out of the show and Elly Ajowi having retired, ring analysts argue Abuti has no challenge given that it’s rare for a heavyweight to come out of the blue without first having made an impression in the lower weight categories. Wasike and Ajowi are the toughest opponents Abuti has met locally losing twice to the two boxers. Ajowi defeated Abuti at light-heavyweight and heavyweight and Wasike first beat Abuti in 2020 in Kisumu though controversially according to Team KDF officials.
Abuti started boxing in 2016 at Mbotela Boxing Club under long-serving coach Raphael Kamuya aka Kamwana.
His potential came to the fore in 2017 when he won the novices and intermediate light-heavyweight titles.
Former prominent international and now a senior coach at KDF, Nick Abaka inspired him to take up boxing.
“King Abaka made me love boxing, by then he was trending a lot in the media,” said Abuti.
“Abaka was also my friend on Facebook, his posts made me want to know more about boxing, that’s how I found myself at Mbotela Hall with coach Kamwana to emulate King Abaka.”
Coincidentally, Abuti finally came face to face with his idol Abaka not in the streets but in the ring. This was in the finals of the 2018 Commonwealth Games trials at Kaloleni Social Hall where Abuti lost on points to the KDF boxer but his superb performance saw him included in the team as Abaka’s sparring partner.
“I gained a lot of knowledge training alongside my idol Abaka, a very down to earth boxer, he encouraged me a lot in our residential training camp in Nakuru,” recalls Abuti.
It was not until 2023 that Abuti made his international debut in the Africa Championships in Yaounde, Cameroon.
That’s the second time I watched Abuti in action covering the tournament for AFBC’s website. He really impressed me with his refined approach. His movement in the ring was perfect and jabbed with precision.
Abuti outpointed 5-0 Congo Brazzaville’s Baltazard Tsoni in the quarter-finals but found the going rough in the semi-finals against Nigeria’s eventual gold medallist Adams Olaore who beat the Kenyan 5-0.
It was a remarkable achievement for Abuti winning a bronze medal in his debut for the national team.
Any hopes Abuti had to improve on his Yaounde performance went up in smoke at the 2024 Africa Championships in Kinshasa, DR Congo, dropping a suspicious 4-3 Bout Review verdict to Gabon’s Njinnou Mouandat.
Abuti has no regrets involving himself with boxing which has enabled him land a job in KDF.
“Boxing has really changed my life through God’s grace,” said Abuti.
“It’s not easy to be employed these days in Kenya, so being a KDF staffer to me is such a big achievement because I know my future is secured.”
_Abuti in safe hands under head Musa Benjamin far left, deputy head coach David Munuhe far right and trainer John Waweru_
As he looks forward to stamp his authority in the Kenya Open Championships, Abuti’s burning ambition for now is to make it to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Kenya’s avid boxing fans can’t wait to watch Abuti in action in the Kenya Open Championships.
BFK MEDIA
