PHOTO: Napunyi, who was then campaigning in Tokyo, made a successful professional debut on September 1, 1981 by outpointing Japan’s Fusao Imai (left) in a six-round fight.
Did you know that Ring General Napunyi Oduori is the first Kenyan professional boxer to win a title at home when the bare chested game was introduced in Kenya in 1983?
Napunyi and Isaiah Ikhoni turned professional in Japan in 1981.
After showing his mettle, winning the Japanese featherweight title by outpointing stubborn Spider Nemoto, Napunyi, a childhood buddy whom we used to box together at Prisons as juniors in early 70s, returned home in 1982 and told me he’s not going back to Japan. He took me by surprise on his abrupt decision.
Curious, I asked him why he wants to fight from home yet he had more opportunities in Japan but he stuck to his guns. He was not happy with the treatment in Japan. I had no choice but to partner with a close friend to make it happen. As a family man, he also had to put food on the table since he had already resigned from Kenya Prisons and life was becoming tough for him.
It was a challenging task for me but I took it head-on. By then there was no pro boxing in Kenya. So we decided to introduce pro boxing and get an opponent for Napunyi from outside. I then wrote a telegram to Tanzania’s Emmanuel Mlundwa from Uniafrique House where Mogg Yoon, a Korean taekwondo instructor, had given me an office to operate from.
I was also hustling having lost my job at Weekly Review/Nairobi Times and started Sports Review magazine with my colleague at Weekly Review Benson Oduke. The Uniafrique office was our meeting base with Napunyi.
In my telegram to Mlundwa in 1982, I told him Napunyi has decided to fight from Kenya, and therefore he should find him an opponent.
Mlundwa, one of Tanzania’s best boxers, had already introduced pro boxing at home in 1982 under Boxing Union of Tanzania (BUT). He responded positively to my telegram, and from there we swung into action.
By then Steve Muchoki, Kenya’s first and the only world champion so far in amateur boxing, was also back home and had similar plans of introducing pro boxing in Kenya. Talk of great minds thinking alike.
We all teamed up joined by among others Joe Akech, former international boxers David Attan, Billy Kiremi and US-based Boniface Kahoro with one common goal: to introduce professional boxing in Kenya.
And in January 1983, the Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) was launched at the defunct Ainsworth Hotel in Westlands with the owner of the hotel, Francis Mburu, through Muchoki’s initiative, picked as KPBC patron and Joe Akech the chairman, secretary-general Boniface Kahoro and treasurer Steve Muchoki. Some of the prominent boxers who attended the colourful ceremony included Uganda’s former world champion Ayub Kalule who was based in Nairobi.
Muchoki played a crucial role in the introduction of pro boxing in Kenya with his wide knowledge in the business having turned pro in 1979 in Denmark under influential promoter Mogens Palle. He brought on board among others Mburu and Akech. The launch of KPBC was the culmination of a series of brain-storming meetings held at patron Mburu’s office during which Muchoki made it clear the introduction of pro boxing must be preceded by the creation of a regulatory body.
With the regulating body, KPBC launched and registered, the stage was all set for Kenya’s first pro boxing card.
On July 2, 1983 at KICC, Napunyi clinched the East Africa super-bantamweight title when he KO’d Tanzania’s Onesmo Ngowi in round three in Kenya’s first ever pro boxing card after independence.
Napunyi thus became Kenya’s first pro boxer to win a title on Kenyan soil. What a memorable day it was in Kenya’s boxing history. We felt on top of the world after finally accomplishing our mission. I covered the historic day for Kanu-owned Kenya Times newspaper and my friend Stephen Ongaro for Daily Nation.
With no promoters then, KPBC financed the first pro boxing show.
Muchoki, George “Mosquito” Findo and the late Juma Kutondo all featured in the supporting bouts against Tanzanian opponents. Findo and Kutondo made their debut in professional boxing in the 1983 card.
In October, 1983, Muchoki, promoted by DS Njoroge, outpointed Zambia’s Flywell Botha to capture the Africa flyweight title at the KICC. DS staged another African title in 1984 at KICC in which Napunyi outpointed tough Nigerian southpaw Obele “Rastaman” Anazor to clinch the Africa super-bantamweight title watched by his father Mzee Joseph Oduori, mum Paulina and some of his siblings Sylvester Odhiambo, Philip, Anyash, Chauh and Knight.
DS Njoroge, the first promoter to be affiliated to KPBC, promoted the show spiced by his throbbing beats. He was also a music promoter.
Njoroge opened the way for other promoters to join the fray among them Chris Kamuyu who used pro boxing to venture into politics, Davlin Promotions owned by David Attan and his wife Linda, Level Two Promotions, Korean Kapsoo Kim and the current KPBC chairman Reuben Ndolo who made a huge impact and was instrumental in ferrying to South Africa some top Kenyan boxers then among them George “Kidi” Adipo, Moses Kinyua and David Kiilu.
Among the big fights Ndolo promoted included Napunyi’s Commonwealth featherweight title contest against Ghana’s Oblittey Commey at City Hall. The stylish Napunyi, a sharp counter-puncher, soundly beat Commey on points to become the second Kenyan pro boxer to win a Commonwealth title after Muchoki.
John Nene
CEO NENEZ MEDIA SERVICES
