I was so excited to be in the ring I’ve just been seeing it on videos, says Amina
The National Coaches, Referees and Judges Course in Mombasa has enabled two Coastal ardent female boxing fans to step into the ring for the first time in their lives.
What a moment of extreme happiness and deep contentment it was for Amina Hasham and Zena Omar both of whom are participants in the R&J course.
Waaa! Yaani hata siamini ni mimi nikiwa jukwaani nasikia raha tu sana mpaka ndani ya mshipa maanake nilikua nazicheki tu kwenye video (Amina Hashim says she’s overjoyed deep down her heart because she had been watching the ring on videos).
Amina naturally loves combat and recalls roughing up some schoolmates when she was at Kongowea Secondary School.
Napenda kuzipiga sana mchezo wa ngumi naufuatilia lakini sijacheza (Amina says she likes fighting and is a staunch boxing fan but she has not fought as a boxer).
Amina’ ambition is to qualify as an international R&J and travel outside the country.
Equally excited is Zena, a proud owner of Zeddyz Salon in Mishoromoni neighbourhood in Mombasa.
“It’s my first in the ring though I’m not new to boxing,” says Zena whose hubby Mustapha Ali is a boxing coach at the Navy. His two sons, Hassan Mustapha, 14, and and Ali Mustapha, 9, are boxers at Transfix Boxing Club.
Amina and Zena stepped into the ring for the first time on Wednesday, June 18, during the practical R&J lessons being conducted under the supervision of chief facilitator Nelson Otieno who is the chairman of the Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) R&J Commission. He’s being assisted by long-serving international R&J Mwangi Muthoga who ventured into officiating in 1982 after stepping out of the ring as a boxer.
Today, June 19, Zena was caught napping when Mombasa County Boxing Association (MCBA) Secretary-General Chrispine Onyango deliberately stood on one corner of the ring until she was reminded it was wrong to continue officiating a bout when the coach is at the corner.
Having learnt this vital lesson she gained confidence and ordered Onyango out of the corner. Several Mombasa boxers including former Kenya Open champion, Mwinyi Kombo, are engaged in sparring sessions in the R&J practical lessions.
Nelson Otieno is impressed by the passion and enthusiasm of the participants saying the Mombasa course is a milestone in the development of boxing in Kenya.
“This is the first time we’re having such a course in Mombasa, the initiative is perfect,” says Otieno urging other counties to emulate Mombasa.
“With such courses countywide we will not have to import coaches from outside since each county will be having their own well trained referees and judges. I congratulate Mombasa County and Alliance Francaise for sponsoring the course.”
Otieno’s sentiments were echoed by Mwangi Muthoga.
“I’m happy with what I’ve seen here. The young R&Js have a future in boxing, it’s good to have more qualified grassroots referees and judges, this enables the counties to hold their own tournaments without worrying on who will officiate since no tournament can take place without referees and judges,” said Muthoga.
The weeklong Coaches, Referees and Judges Course has attracted a total of 75 participants with 48 attending the coaching course and 27 are in the referees and judges course.
David Wanyoike, a former boxer at Nakuru Amateur Boxing Club, has come all the way from Lare which is a ward located within Njoro Sub-County in Nakuru County.
