Cash-strap Kenya may fail to honour World Championships
Kenya Defence Forces boxer Nick Abaka trains at Mathare Police Hall in the past. PHOTO | FILE |
What you need to know:
- Kameta had promised to send a youthful team to the week-long event that was going to be used to select an African team for the World Championships later in the year.
The national boxing team will not take part in the World Championships qualifiers set for Congo Brazzaville later this week.
Boxing Association of Kenya president John Kameta on Tuesday said his efforts to get funding from the government hit a snag after the relevant bodies said they were not in position to support the team for the championships.
Kameta said both the Ministry of Sports and Sports Kenya said they don't have the capacity to support the event which may now force the Association to release the players on Wednesday.
"It is very painful that there is money in the Ministry coffers for the officials to attend seminars, pay themselves hefty allowances among other things but there is no money to support sports," a disappointed Kameta said while appealing for help from other stakeholders.
Kameta had promised to send a youthful team to the week-long event that was going to be used to select an African team for the World Championships later in the year.
Kameta said he presented the budget for this event in July last year and it was clear the team would travel until yesterday when he was informed they would not be getting funds.
“The boys and girls have been training very hard and had high hopes of dominating the qualifiers but all that might now go to waste.”
Kameta had earlier said that while the aim of the country was to send as many boxers as possible for the world championships set for Germany later in the year, the Association's target was to expose many young pugilists to give Kenya a realistic chance of sending more boxers to next year's Olympic qualifiers.
Six coaches have been working with the players in a non-residential training camp in Nairobi among them George “Foreman” Onyango, Samuel Marina, James Wasao, Julius Theuri, Paul Mathenge and Carlos Muthee.
FULL LIST
49kg - Shaffi Bakari, Matayo Keya
52kg Maurice Ochieng, Simon Mulinge, Charles Macharia
56kg Benson Gicharu, Martin Oduor, Isaac Meja
60kg Nick Okoth, Ethan Maina
64kg Victor Onyango, Joseph Shigali
69kg Blackmoses Mathenge, Bonface Mogunde
75kg John Kyalo, Edwin Okongo
81kg Elly Ajowi, Nickson Abaka
91kg Tobias Okeyo, Fredrick Onyango
91+kg Fredrick Ramogi
Women: Veronica Mbithe, Christine Shisoka, Teresia Wanjiku, Ruth Odongo, and Elizabeth Akinyi.
Technical officials: George Onyango, Samuel Magima, James Wasao, Julius Theuri, Mathenge Paul, Carlos Muthee
