Stephen Ongaro And Francis Mureithi
13 July 2004
Nairobi — The Meru branch of the Amateur Boxing Association of Kenya has been launched.
The branch was launched during the fourth leg of the national boxing competition in Meru at the weekend.
The competition was sponsored by Mastermind Tobacco Company.
The ABA secretary general, Charles Gituma, said Thika branch had also been incorporated as an affiliate. He asked for the two branches to prepare teams for the next national boxing tournament scheduled for Mumias from August 5 to 7.
During the four-team tournament in Meru, Kenya Police won with 25 points, Prisons had 18 and defending champions, Afaba, finished third with 16. Telkom Kenya had 12. Meru featured as a guest team.
ABA co-ordinator, Francis Makathimo, who is also the chairman of Kenya Prisons ABA, thanked Mastermind for donating boxing gear to the Meru branch.
The equipment included gloves, head guards and trophies. Said Makathimo: "We have invited Meru to send a team to our next event, which is the fifth leg of the league competition, in Mumias next month."
Gituma said boxing equipment the association has received from the International Amateur Boxing Association and Qatar government would be distributed to various branches.
Gituma also asked the new Sports minister Ochillo Ayacko to give boxing financial assistance. Gituma thanked the National Olympic Committee of Kenya for enabling two boxers and a coach to travel to Cuba for a three-week training tour before the Olympic Games. "I am confident both Suleiman Bilali (light-flyweight) and David Munyasia (bantamweight) with their coach Albert Matito will learn a lot from the Cubans," he said.
- The Robert Wangila Memorial youth tournament will be staged on Thursday at the Telkom Maringo social hall. Steve Gacheru, the ABA Nairobi branch secretary, said invitations had been sent to all Nairobi clubs.
- Kenya Railways Boxing Club won the Rift Valley inter-clubs championships with 21 points at the Madison Square Garden in Nakuru.
Scarlet, coached by veteran Peter Morris, were second with 13 points followed by Nakuru Amateur Boxing Club with 11 points.
In the welterweight bout, Francis Mwangi overwhelmed Boniface Momanyi of Scarlet, forcing referee Mwangi Muthee to stop the contest in the first round.
Railways' Isaac Omolo, who was the most enterprising boxer of the tournament, defeated Julius Opande of Nakuru via a majority points verdict.
Robert Gikonyo of Scarlet was disqualified by referee Muthee Mwangi during his light-flyweight bout against Martin Mbugua of Nakuru for failing to obey the referee's order to halt the fight at the final gong.
In the only knockout of the day, Nakuru's Nick Orwa needed seven seconds of the first round to beat Ibrahim Mwangi of Scarlet in the featherweight clash.
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