Sports
Olympian boxer Okoth through first round of the Kenya Open
Nick Okoth (right) attacks Anthony Ngugi in a Feather weight bout during the Kenya National Open boxing championship at Nairobi Charter Hall. Nick Okoth won the bout after his opponent retired. Photo/CHRIS OMOLLO
Olympian Nick Okoth of the Armed Forces Amateur Boxing Association, cleared his first hurdle in the Kenya Open Boxing Championship when he forced his opponent, Antony Ngugi (Prisons) ABA to retire in the second round at City Hall, Nairobi, on Monday.
The Championship is going on Tuesday at the same venue.
The feather weight Okoth knocked down Ngugi with a left swing to the head towards the end of the first round, but he survived the mandatory count of eight.
As Okoth piled up pressure with his left-right swings to the head the bell rung to indicate the end of the round.
In the second round, Okoth chased Ngugi around the ring with swings to the head and in the process he dropped his mouth piece.
As Ngugi tried to show it to the referee, it appeared that his intentions were mistaken and the ring official thought that he wanted to retire and sent him to his corner. Okoth face 12 pugilists in this berth.
84 boxers coming from all over the country turned up for the tournament which will be used to pick two national teams, a youth side and a women’s squad for the 2012 London Olympics.
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