Boxers from the Nakuru Amateur Boxing Club are up in arms protesting over the management's interference with their latest league tournament held in Nanyuki.

The players who had on Wednesday traveled to Nanyuki to participate in the fourth leg of the National Boxing League, note that, they were met with a letter addressed to the league organizers barring them from participating in the tournament.

The players and coaches note that it was with a heavy heart, they traveled back home without participating in any match.

According to the Nakuru amateur boxing head coach, Joseph Gitau , the tornament was scheduled to take place between November 7 – 9. However, none of his players took part in the challenge.

Nakuru Amateur Boxing Club Head coach , Joseph Gitau, during an interview on November 8,2024.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

“All along the management went mum and watched us travel to Nanyuki. Should they have wished for us not to participate in the league they should have stopped us at home. Why wait for us to get the information through a third party after we have spent our time and resources,” says Gitau furiously.

Another coach, Camlus Juma adds that, on their return their frustration was heightened by the notice pinned at the club carrying the message “Boxing has been suspended till further notice.”

Coach Nakuru Amateur Boxing Club , Camlus Juma laments on the temporary closure of the club on November 8, 2024.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

“I am shocked that interfering with the tournament was not enough now the management is interfering with training. My appeal to the management is for them to stop politicizing boxing and using dictatorship rule at the club. Allow players to play and grow their talent,” says Juma while calling out the management for bad leadership.

Adblu Aziz, a boxer at the club, raged with fury noting that the club’s management is the biggest hindrance to the growth of the Nakuru amateur boxing club.

Abdul Aziz a boxer at the Nakuru Boxing Club laments on poor management of the club during protests on November 8, 2024.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

“Should there have been a problem, the management should have allowed the players to participate in the tournament and once we were back, invite us and the coaches for a talk. What good did it serve them with us missing the tournament. This will only reflect badly on our ranking at the end of the league,” he mentioned.

In a phone interview, the Nakuru Amateur Boxing Club chairman, Nderitu Kahihu, notes that the club runs under a constitution which must be adhered to.

He notes that, as a committee overseeing the running of the club, they wrote the letter to the league organizers in Nanyuki to recall the Nakuru team and cancel their participation in the fourth leg because they proceeded to the league match without informing the management.

“We cannot allow people to make plans while disregarding our constitution. More to it, we have had mushrooming on many boxing clubs in Nakuru, who register themselves and come to utilize our facilities while they are not affiliated to the club. This is the reason we halted boxing till Monday, to allow us keep our house in order,” says Mr. Nderitu.

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