POLICE BOXER DIOUF MUIMI FIRES BACK AT EMMANUEL CHONDO
▪️ I defeated Manu fair and square in the Kenya Open finals, he says
▪️ There’s fire in the flyweight berth this season
Newly-crowned Kenya Open flyweight champion Diouf Muimi aka Bashday has fired back at Emmanuel “Manu” Chondo over his remarks regarding their fight during the finals of the Kenya Open Championships on April 19 at Nairobi’s Charter Hall.
Boxing for Police “Chafua Chafua”, Diouf outpointed Chondo in the flyweight final but the Nairobi County boxer felt the judges were unfair to him.
“I should have won the fight because I was in charge in the second and third rounds,” Manu told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview.
But Diouf has maintained he beat Chondo clean, and that he should accept defeat and move on.
“What I know is that the judges did their job very well by deciding I was the winner, I beat him fair and square,” Diouf said, adding: “Manu will never beat me again I know him better now.”
Manu had previously defeated Diouf twice prior to their third encounter in the Kenya Open Championships finals.
“The two defeats have taught me a lot of things about my opponent, he will be lucky to beat me again,” roared the 20-year-old Diouf. There is a looming battle for supremacy in the flyweight division which promises to be hotly contested in this year’s Kenya National Boxing League starting in May.
In addition to Diouf and Manu, there’s Africa flyweight bronze medalist Abednego Kyalo, African Military Games champion Kevin Maina both of KDF, Kibra’s Paul Omondi and Morris Kimani of Kasarani Youth Club.
Maina and Omondi have defeated Diouf once in 2024 but he said he had just started his journey at the senior level, and now that he’s settling down they’re in for a rough season.
“I’m ready for them in the league, I’m the best that’s why I’m the Kenya Open champion,” said Diouf who singles out Kelvin Maina as the only threat in his determination to dominate the flyweight berth.
“I thought Maina will fight in the Kenya Open, I didn’t see him, wherever he is he should know I’m a different boxer now,” said Diouf who hails from Mwingi sub-county in Kenya’s Eastern Region.
“Kyalo is a good boxer but he’s not that tough, I can take him on,” said Diouf without batting an eyelid on Kyalo’s status as a bronze medalist in the 2024 AFBC Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships in Kinshasa, DR Congo.
“Paul Omondi is also good, he knows boxing but I can handle him better if we meet again, I believe in myself,” said Diouf whose involvement with boxing was influenced by the late Mathare North Boxing Club coach John Kimani.
Diouf used to play football as a midfielder for Mathare Flames. Their training ground was near the social hall. So, at times he would go and watch the boxers training.
The turning point came in 2018 when he unwillingly got involved with boxing.
“I was at the doorstep watching boxers training, I didn’t know coach Kim was behind me,” recalls Diouf.
“Coach Kim then held my hand and led me into the hall and from that day I’ve never looked back, I switched from football to boxing, it’s the best sport to me.”
Diouf explains what happened in the hall after being led inside by coach Kim.
“When coach Kim led me into the hall for the first time, I did not train. He took his time to know who I was, where I came from and why I wanted to train with them, he told me boxing is a good sport provided one is disciplined.
“After introduction, he told me to come the following day with my training gear, by then I was 13 years in class eight. When I told my parents I wanted to become a boxer my mum was not happy. She told me I can go mad being constantly hit on my head but my dad was okay with it and told me I can do it if my heart was in boxing.”
A former student at Kahuguini Boys in Kiambu County and Mathare North Primary schools, Muimi began attending training religiously with Kim, as they used to call him, and coach Kennedy Muiruri teaching him the ABC of boxing.
“I found out boxing is more interesting than football, one is punished by his mistakes in the ring so you need high level of concentration. When I started training I felt pain all over my body, boxing training is different to football, that didn’t discourage me I was eager to do it again and again.”
Satisfied their rookie boxer had mastered the basics well, coach Muiruri entered Diouf in several tournaments starting with a friendly match against Kariobangi as Diouf himself further narrates.
“The same year I joined boxing in 2018 we went for a friendly game at Kariobangi which I won, I started as a minimumweight. I was scared a bit since it was my first game. Coach Muiruri encouraged me saying it was just like what you do in sparring. I won the game, my dad was happy he bought me a brick game. I went on winning more games and this encouraged me to work harder I knew I can make it.
“In 2023 I was in the national youth team that went to Tanzania I came back with a gold medal. After I finished school in 2023 the following year I went for novices I came second. That same year I took part in the intermediate tournament I won the title at Rongai. I was so happy. In the Kenya Open I lost in the semis to Silus Onyango.”
Diouf’s impressive performance had already caught the attention of Police who poached him last year, and has since then represented them in several national league matches.
“I’ve learnt a lot of new tricks in boxing since I joined Police, I’m happy training with some of the big names in boxing,” said Diouf who singles out Africa Championships bronze medallist Shaffi Bakari as the boxer who inspires him a lot since they also train together at Mathare Depot.
“After our sparring sessions Shaffi sits with me to correct the mistakes he noticed in me, and when he’s sparring I watch him and pick a few styles from him I modify them to my ability.”
Coach Muiruri is so far satisfied with Diouf’s rapid progress.
“This young man is a very fast learner, within a short period he has done commendably well, I can only wish him all the best at Police,” said Muiruri.
With the Kenya Open title already under his belt, Diouf has already made his presence felt in Kenya boxing.
His journey to the top has started but much will now depend on how he performs against his rivals in the national league and other local tournaments.
