‘Chafua’ vow to dirty the waters

The fifth and final leg of the National Boxing League began at the refurbished Madison Square Garden, Nakuru, on Thursday with 46 boxers from eight clubs slugging it out.
“We call upon the boxing fraternity not to miss this mouth-watering final leg of the boxing league as top boxers, some of whom represented Kenya in London Olympics, will be on parade,” said veteran boxing official Mwangi “Don King” Muthoga, an international referee and judge.

The three-day competition ends on Saturday with 11 bouts on the cards.

Defending champions Kenya Police, popularly known as “Chafua Chafua”, are poised to retain the glittering six-foot Yamashita Cup which they won at the same venue last year.

Confident of retaining title

Police head coach Patrick “Mont” Waweru and his assistant, George “Foreman” Onyango, were confident of retaining the title for the umpteenth time.

“Soldiers never die, and my boys have gone to Nakuru with one mission: to retain the crown and return it to our safe custody,” said Onyango.

Spearheading the Police onslaught will be light flyweight Peter Mungai, who won a gold medal in the Benazir Bhutto Memorial boxing championships early this year.

London Olympian not in action

Police’s flyweight Benson Gicharu, who was the sole boxer from Kenya in the Olympic Games in London in July and August, will not be in action.

The pugilist has kept a low profile since his return and has not featured in any boxing league this year.

Kenya Prisons head coach George Gichuki warned the big boys to prepare for a “tough fight”.

“We finished third last year in the league and we hope the crop of boxers that I have in my line-up will prove their worth in the ring and win their fights,” said Gichuki.

He will be banking on William Kamau, whom he described as the best bantamweight boxer in the country at the moment.

Others in the warders camp include Harrison Mathuku (flyweight), Moses Olouch (light welter), Aziz Ali (light heavy) and Daniel Kisia (heavy).