Kenyan boxer to contest Commonwealth world title
Sarah Achieng, a member of the Box Girls Kenya, in action during a training session at the Kariobangi Social Hall on February 26, 2019. Sarah Achieng will take a stab at the vacant Commonwealth Boxing Council (CBC) women’s world super lightweight title on September 1 at Pirates Beach, Mombasa. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU |
What you need to know:
- Achieng will face Tanzanian Rehema Abdalla in a 10-round contest in an extravaganza that will have four Kenyans pounding in elimination bouts for the CBC world title fights in their respective categories
- Kenya’s Reuben Ndolo, who is a director at CBC, said the development comes after the Council meeting he attended in London two weeks ago
- Five Kenyans have once held the CBC world titles
Kenya’s Sarah Achieng will take a stab at the vacant Commonwealth Boxing Council (CBC) women’s world super lightweight title on September 1 at Pirates Beach, Mombasa.
Achieng will face Tanzanian Rehema Abdalla in a 10-round contest in an extravaganza that will have four Kenyans pounding in elimination bouts for the CBC world title fights in their respective categories.
The 31-year-old Achieng has 13 wins, two loses and no draw (13-2-0) while Abdalla is undefeated in nine outings where she has one draw (8-0-1).
Among them are the Africa Boxing Union (ABU) middleweight champion Rayton “Boom Boom” Okwiri, heavyweight Morris Okolla, light heavyweight Aziz Ali and Dennis ‘Billabong’ Okoth, who is fresh from retaining the American Boxing Organization (ABO) Junior welterweight title two weeks ago in the USA.
Kenya’s Reuben Ndolo, who is a director at CBC, said the development comes after the Council meeting he attended in London two weeks ago.
Okwiri will take on Maono Ally in middleweight while Aziz is pitted against Karama Nyilawila in light heavyweight. Ally and Nyilawila are from Tanzania.
Billabong and Okolla’s opponents will be known on due course.
Five Kenyans have once held the CBC world titles. They include Stephen Muchoki, who was the light flyweight champion from October 17, 1980 to February 3, 1983 and Modest Napunyi, who held the featherweight belt from January 28, 1990 to April 14, 1991.
The most recent champions were Michael “Lonzi” Muya, who held the lightweight title from March 29, 2003 to November 8, 2003 and Joshua “Poison” Onyango, who donned the light middleweight belt from March 23, 2002 to May 28, 2002 Light middleweight.
Ndolo said they discussed development issues with the highlight being the formation of the professional league comprising a joint World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and CBC.
Ndolo said the league will move to Africa in February next year at a venue that will be disclosed later but five Kenyan boxers will be picked by Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) to vie in the league that will take place in October in Delhi, India.
“We shall have either joint belts or individual titles in the league,” said Ndolo adding that the formation of the league will lure more sponsors. “Boxers for the leagues will also be accompanied by a referee and judge, who will also undergo some training.”
Ndolo said he will attend the CBC annual general meeting planned for September 26-29 in London where he intends to lobby for equipment that will be donated to gymnasiums that have supported boxers in the national teams.
