Githurai Thailand Boxing Club won the just-concluded Nairobi County Boxing Open Championships, an event that saw 34 boxers from nine clubs fight for Nairobi's top boxing honors last weekend on Saturday at Kaloleni Social Hall, Nairobi.
Speaking to Radio Generation on Monday, Nairobi County Boxing Association ( NCBA) Assistant Secretary Ronald Khainga congratulated the clubs, warning boxers that they have to go through such an elite competition after the novices, for them to qualify for the Kenya Open, where only the top boxers do compete.
"This is an elite competition, strictly and only for Elite Boxers meaning that the athlete has passed the Novices level and Intermediate level up to National level, got a Certificate either as a Winner or Runner's up , then he or she will be allowed at the Nairobi Open," said Khainga adding that Nairobi has selected a strong team that can compete well against institutional clubs such as Prisons Kenya, Kenya Defense Forces, Kenya Police and counties like Kisumu who have very good boxers.
Githurai Thailand Boxing Club won the overall Championship with 11 points, while Kibra Youth and Kenya Prisons had nine points each, sharing the second position, while Umoja Boxing Club, with eight points, completed the podium at position three.
The top individual winners from the Kaloleni Social Hall Showdown event were led by John Burungu from Githurai Thailand Boxing club, who defeated Ambrose Junior from Kariobangi Boxing Club in the minimum weight category.
Another Thailand prodigy, Jeff Ndungu, won on points against Kariobangi's William Malawi in the flyweight, while Chris Musyoki from Prisons dominated Thailand's Nelly Ezra to win the Bantam Weight category.
The other bouts saw Kennedy Mungai of Umoja Boxing Club win via a walkover against Prison's Erick Mwangi in the Feather Weight category, Rober Gachuhi beating Fidel Okoth of Umoja in the Light Weight, while Sylvia Obwamu of Kariobangi won against Jericho's Joyce Nyaga in the only ladies' bout that was competed in the light Welter Weight category.
The light Welter Weight men's category saw Kariobangi's Joseph Andulusi win on points to a lackluster Michael Omondi of Umoja, while Aloice Ochieng of Prisons won against Kibra Youth Boxing Club's Levy Omondi in the Welter Weight category, as Jericho's John Muthiani won by KO against Mumina Mathew of Kibra Youth in the light middle weight.
Another Jericho Boxing Club fast-rising star is Jeremy Oakley, who was unmatched against John Onyango of Umoja, winning that middleweight category bout on points, while in the cruiserweight category.
Miraji of Kibra youth won against Isaac Omondi of Umoja.
The individual awards of brilliance went to John Muthiani of Jericho Boxing Club, who won the Male Best Boxer Award, and Sylvia Obwamu of Kariobangi Boxing Club, claiming the Female Best Boxer Award.
The Association also organized supporting bouts for children/youth of ages under 17 years, an exciting phenomenal tha saw Kaloleni Social Hall erupt in cheers, a clear definition of Khainga's vision of developing grassroots boxing.
