Kenya Prisons will be using the final leg of the Sportpesa National League in Nakuru next week to scout for potential boxers for next year. The team, which has been overshadowed by other uniformed forces over the past few seasons, announced that their plans for the new season begins with the conclusion of the league.
Prisons head coach Maurice Maina ‘Kawata” said conceded that his boys are taking it all in their stride though tired of living in the shadows of Police and Kenya Defence Forces. The warders last won the National League in 1999 but the coveted title has since eluded them and revolved around Police and army outfits. The team suffered a major blow when their long-standing international super heavyweight Daniel Shisia retired from the sport and Rayton Okwiri joined the paid ranks in the AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) ranks.
Since Sydney Olympics in 2000, Prisons have produced four Olympians in George Odindo, Aziz Ali, Bernard Gumba and Rayton Okwiri but their performance in the league continues to plummet. “We are determined to regain lost glory. So we will be looking out for some fresh legs on the league front as well as teams from Nairobi. We are looking for young boxers who will help us put up a brilliant show next season,” said Maina. Among boxers Prisons will field in Nakuru are Olympian Aziz Ali (heavyweight), who is also the captain, flyweight Harisson Mathuku, bantamweight William Kamau, Anthony Ngugi (lightweight) and Ken Omondi at welterweight division. Kenya Police “Chafua Chafua” took a nine point lead over KDF in the penultimate Machakos leg and qualified all their ten boxers in the final contests.
Police handled by 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games gold medalist George ‘Foreman’ Onyango will field the likes of Tobias Okeyo in the heavyweight category, Elly Ajowi in the light heavyweight division, bantamweight Martin Oduor and Ethan Maina in lightweight.
