Kenya’s first ever female boxing medallist in the African Games Amina Martha is a darling boxer capable of handling her opponents the way they come.
She proved it in last year’s Africa Championships bagging a bronze medal in Yaounde, Cameroon.
Amina is the Kenyan in the ring today against DR Congo’s Merveille Bisambu in the bantamweight division.
Captain Boniface Mogunde has shown them the way with his new approach in the ring relying on tact and ring craftsmanship, the hallmark of Kenya boxing.
Unlike the usual approach of some boxers exchanging fists furiously without a game plan as if involved in a land dispute, Mogunde boxed smart, out-boxing DR Congo’s Anderson Manzongo enroute to a convincing points win. He scored points at will without being hit in return totally confusing the home boxer.
Newcomer Clinton Macharia (pictured right in action on Tuesday) displayed a tactical in his international debut against Angola’s super heavyweight Luvo Jordilson who used all tricks in the book to intimidate the Kenyan at the Belle Vie Hotel where the visiting boxers are staying. The fight was however marred by unnecessary clinching.
“The guy really tried to scare me but I remained calm, he even said he’s going to kill me in the ring but I showed him clean boxing, using brain than brawn,” Macharia told me after his points victory becoming the first Kenyan to romp through to the final.
The food here is fine. Even nicely-done pilau is available, not pilau Njeri found in some eateries in Nairobi otherwise known as Kanairo to the town dwellers.
After Amina’s rhumba dance with Bisambu this is how the Kenyans will battle it out:
Light-heavyweight: Elizabeth Andiego vs Marie-Joelle Mwika (Cameroon)
Flyweight: Abednego Kyalo vs Valerie Fabrice (Mauritius)
Light-welterweight: Vincent Ochieng vs John Paul Masamba (South Africa)
Light-heavyweight: Robert Okaka vs Gebhard Ipinge (Namibia)
Second session semi-finals
Featherweight: Shaffi Bakari vs Mwengo Mwale (Zambia)
Light-middleweight: Boniface Mogunde vs Abidine Amroug (Morocco)
Credit: AFBC Communications
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