Federation to investigate claims of poor officiating

Boxing Association of Kenya (BAK) president John Kameta has promised to get to the bottom of allegations of match-fixing and biased officiating during the fifth and final leg of the Sportpesa National Boxing league in Mombasa.

The peak of the contested officiating came during the semi-finals on Friday where some boxers from Kenya Defence Forces and Nairobi were unfairly denied victory.

In the end, it’s Kenya Police’s “Chagua Chafua” who retained the league with 103 points, beating Kenya Defence Forces by point after the three-day contest that ended Saturday at Uwanja wa Mbuzi grounds.

Prior to the fifth leg, KDF led with 82 points followed by Police on 79 points.

Coaches from most teams, who sought anonymity, cried foul saying the unfair exit by KDF and Nairobi boxers set the stage for Police’s victory. They claimed that most of those managing the computer scoring system are inclined to some teams and capable of doctoring results.

Kameta termed officiating in some of the semi-final bouts ‘a nightmare’ and said he will not allow judges to kill budding talent in boxing.

Kameta singled out the flyweight semi-final contest between Dennis Muthama (Nairobi) and Morris Ochieng (Police) where Muthama was robbed off victory by judges in a 2-1 decision.

Kameta also pointed out the final duel between Benson Gicharu (Police) and Isaac Meja (KDF) where Meja had an upper hand after Gicharu visited the canvas twice but denied victory 2-1.

Other controversial semi-final decisions came in middleweight contest where Edwin Okong’o (KDF) lost to Humphrey Ochieng (Police) and light flyweight Kevin Maina (KDF), who lost to Harrison Muthuku (Prisons).