Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) boxing sensation Isaac Meja progressed to the next round of the SportPesa National Boxing League after beating Kisumu’s Kevin Akoko in their bantamweight bout at Uwanja wa Mbuzi ground in Mombasa on Thursday.
Meja (pictured in red) looked the better boxer from round one where he managed to floor Akoko. Just seconds of the first round, the KDF boxer became the favourite to win the fight as he continued to punish his opponent with a combination of left and right jabs. He won in a unanimous 3-0 decision.
In another thrilling fight, Hamza Said of Kongowea showed his class as he bobbed and weaved his way to an easy 3-0 victory over Kibra’s Musa Salim.
Said was wildly cheered by the home supporters who flocked the venue located to Kongowea area where he comes from.
Kenyan international pugilist, Benson Gicharu of Kenya Police showed precise technique as he continuously punished his opponent, Coast Combined’s James Mugeni, to deservedly win 3-0.
Stephen Ndungu of Kenya Prisons suffered a major set-back when he was eliminated by OKSA’s Simon Kinuthia in another bantamweight fight.
The bout, which saw both boxers evenly trade blows, was given to Kinuthia in a split 2:1 decision.
The other bantamweight bout saw Joshua Mwangi of G44/S beat Abubakar Okunda of KNH in a unanimous 3-0 decision.
Prior to the start of the fifth and the last leg of the league, the Kenya Boxing Federation (KBF) president John Kameta said the winner of this year’s league will be known at the end of the final fights to be held at the same venue on Saturday.
Kameta said the best four boxers in each category will fight to secure a place in the team for next year’s Commonwealth Games.
“There are 80 men boxers and seven women pugilists who are fighting to secure places in the Kenyan team for the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
