đ„ NENEZ BOXING ARCHIVE:Â Olympic champions Soviet Union hammer Kenya and Uganda in their first East African tour in 1970
Soviet Union boxers returned home unbeaten in their first East African tour in December, 1970.
Then known as USSR, the Soviets tour of East Africa was widely publicised taking into account they were the reigning Olympic Games champions having won three gold, two silver and one bronze at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Uganda and Kenya were then a formidable force to reckon with in the ring.
USSRâs first stop was in Kampala for their highly anticipated match against the Commonwealth Games boxing champions Uganda at the Nakivubo Stadium. They beat Uganda 6-4 bouts in a fiercely fought encounter marred by controversial decisions involving the Ugandans in bantamweight, light-welterweight and light-heavyweight divisions.
The Olympic champions won the opening light-flyweight bout through A.Semyonov who outpointed Commonwealth Games champion James Odwori. In the ensuing flyweight bout, Ugandaâs captain and Olympic bronze medallist Leo Rwabogo KOâd Pavel Yershov with a stinging left punch to the stomach in the first round.
At bantam, Olympic silver medallist Eridadi Mukwanga dropped a controversial points defeat to Novikov while Commonwealth Games featherweight silver medallist Deo Musoke was stopped in the second round by Olympics bantamweight gold medallist Valerian Sokolov who moved up to featherweight.
Sokolov, who outpointed Mukwanga in the final at the Mexico Olympics, floored Musoke with a heavy left cross to the chin. A groggy Musoke clung to the ropes as he received an eight standing count, forcing the Russian referee to stop the fight.
At lightweight Peter Odhiambo, making his international debut, beat Boris Kuznetsov who was disqualified in third round for persistent holding.
Ugandans booed Russian referee for what they felt was unfair disqualification of their hero, Commonwealth Games champion Mohammed Muruli in his light-welterweight bout against Zaitsev. Muruli was leading on points when the referee disqualified him for butting after two public warnings.
The Soviets maintained their winning ways with a hard-fought 7-4 bouts win over Kenya at City Hall on December 11 in a Jamhuri Day contest.
Kenyaâs winners were flyweight Isaac Maina who beat Pavel Yershov, light-welterweught Airforce man making his international debut Joseph Onyango, light-middleweught David Attan and middleweight Stephen âKimboâ Matiani who was the captain of the Kenya team coached by Sammy Ouma.
New cap, light-flyweight Haraka Wanjala from Mombasa, Commonwealth Games bantamweight silver medallist Sammy Mbogwa, featherweight John Nderu, lightweight Kamau Mbugua, welterweight John Olulu, light-heavy Henry Muchorwa and heavy Fred âSachiâ Sabat were Kenyaâs losers.
Nderu replaced two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and twice Olympic Games medallist Philip Waruinge who was axed from the team on disciplinary grounds. Waruinge failed to report at their residential training camp Kenyatta University (then Kenyatta College in 1970). Muchorwa took the light-heavyweight berth from Steve Thega who had yet to recover from a nose operation. Thega suffered the injury in the October West Germany tour with Isaac Maina, Sammy Mbogwa and David Attan.
In a special contest for 13-year-olds in the Kenya v USSR match, Daniel âNytilâ Njoroge of Eddie Musiâs Bangla Desh Boxing Club outpointed James Njoroge of YMCA and in the 15-year-olds Joseph Bobby Ouma beat A. Mola.
Meanwhile, for your information, it was in 1970 that Kenya Breweries Boxing Club was born and the Nairobi Province (now Nairobi County) Boxing Association was formed with Chris Siganga elected president and Alex Okello secretary-general. Okello was then the president of Kenya Amateur Basketball Association.
