Gicharu, Meja face-off in Bantamweight final
What you need to know:
- The two-day championships double up as the Commonwealth Games trials.
- Gicharu only took two minutes of the first round to to dismiss Hamsa Banda Said from Mombasa in their Bantamweight bout.
- Meja sailed through to the final after his opponent Martin Oduor failed to show up for the weigh-in.
Olympians Nick Okoth from Kenya Defence Forces and Kenya Police Service's Benson Gicharu made short work of their opponents to ease through to the Champion of Champions Championships boxing finals at the Kaloleni Social Hall on Friday.
The two-day championships double up as the Commonwealth Games trials.
Okoth, who is targeting his third Commonwealth Games, stopped John Mwanzia from Githurai 44 (G44) in the lightweight contest in the second round.
Okoth, who send Mwanzia twice on the canvas in the second round before the bout was stopped, will now meet Ethan Maina of Police in the final on Saturday. Maina beat Antony Ngugi from Prisons 2-1 to set up a showdown with Okoth, who won bronze at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games before losing in the quarters at 2014 Glasgow Games.
Gicharu only took two minutes of the first round to to dismiss Hamsa Banda Said from Mombasa in their Bantamweight bout.
Gicharu will now meet Isaac Meja from KDF in what could be the highlight of the championships. Gicharu won their previous meeting in a fiercely contested decision in Mombasa during the fifth leg of the national league.
FAILED TO SHOW UP
Meja sailed through to the final after his opponent Martin Oduor failed to show up for the weigh-in.
" I am ready for the bout. I was weak in some two or three areas which I have polished. I want to win it clean this time around," said Gicharu, the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games silver medallist. Gicharu won bronze at 2014 Glasgow.
"I know his tricks and I and ready for him. I'm and ready for the big stage too," said Meja, who is eying his first appearance at the Club Games.
In other bouts, Matayo Keya of Kenyatta National Hospital beat Nicodemus Kinuthia of G44 in light flyweight and will face Shafi Bakari of Police in the final on Saturday.
Bakari got a walkover after Kevin Muchira of KDF failed to make the category's weight.
Mohammed Ali from Kongowea beat Brian Agina of Mombasa 2-1 to set up a showdown with Simon Mulinge of KDF in the flyweight final.
However, it's unlikely Mulinge will make it after he sustained cuts above his both eyes from a suspected head-butt during his bout against Charles Macharia from Dallas. Mulinge won the the bout 2-1.
Victor Odhiambo (KDF) will meet Joseph Shigali of Police in light welterweight final. Odhiambo beat Martin Achebi (Nairobi) 3-0 while Shigali claimed a similar result against Anthony Maina of Prisons.
COLLATED RESULTS
Light flyweight:
Matayo Keya (KNH) beat Nicodemus Kinuthia (G44) 3-0
Flyweight
Mohammed Ali (Kongowea) beat Brian Agina (Coast) 2-1; Simon Mulinge(KDF) best Charles Macharia (Dallas) 2-1
Bantamweight
Benson Gicharu (Police) beat Hamsa Said (Coast) after referee stopped contest in first round.
Lightweight:
Nick Okoth( KDF) beat John Mwanzia (G44) after referee stopped contest in the second round; Ethan Maina( Police) beat Anthony Ngugi (Prisons) 2-1.
Light welterweight:
Victor Odhiambo (KDF) beat Martin Achebi (Nairobi) 3-0; Joseph Shigali (Police) beat Anthony Maina (Prisons) 3-0.
Welterweight:
Boniface Mugunde (Police) beat Lucky Nyiro (Coast) 3-0; Jacob Kimathi (Prison) beat Moses Mathenge (KDF) 2-1.
Middleweight:
Edwin Okongo (KDF) beat Joseph Onyango( Nairobi) after referee stopped contest in the first round
Eric Otengo (Prisons) beat Humphrey Ochieng( Police) 2-1
Light heavyweight:
Peter Abuti (Prisons) beat James Osore( KNH) 2-1
Super heavyweight:
David Njuguna (Police) beat George Owiti (Prisons) 2-1
