Kenya national boxing team captain Nick Okoth says his thirst for individual glory and a disdain for collective condemnation saw him make the hard decision to drop football for boxing.
In an exclusive interview with the Star on Saturday morning, the Tokyo Olympics-bound featherweight pugilist revealed how he ended up dancing enthusiastically in the ring after bolting out of the football pitch in a huff.
“I used to play football before I crossed over to boxing. As a child, I developed an interest in both boxing and football and I would train hard in both.
His passion for football experienced a gradual meltdown after he realized most of the time he was actually biting the bullet for his teammates who appeared unfazed whenever their team suffered a defeat.
“We had a youth team in our neighborhood which I featured for, as a defender. We would organise matches and anytime we lost I felt devastated because I always wanted to win. The nagging feeling would last for a long time before it finally eased off.
“What bothered me the most was the casual manner in which my teammates approached our defeats. Whereas I was hurting deep inside, none of them seemed bothered at all and their attitude annoyed me even more.
“For example, there is a time in 1998 when we suffered a humiliating 5-0 loss. I got crushed,” said Okoth.
Meanwhile, Okoth's brother Absalom Okinyi who skippered the 'Hit Squad' in 1998, was basking in inundated fame and glory following his splendid exploits in the ring.
Okinyi clinched a silver medal in the 67kg category at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
“Anytime I came across local newspapers, my brother Absalom Okinyi who was the Hit Squad captain at that time was making headlines with his splendid performance and getting all the credit.
“I realized despite committing myself fully in our football matches and playing so well, nobody really cared to single me out for praise. Instead, I would be branded a failure on the basis of the team's defeat.
Inspired by Okinyi's huge success in the ring, the Kenya Defence Forces officer decided to follow in his brother's footsteps.
“It's at that point that I made a firm decision to quit football and concentrate on boxing. I wanted a sport where I could fully be responsible for both my success and failure,” said Okoth.
