NIGERIA NEW CHAMPIONSUganda finished second and Kenya third at the 1973

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NIGERIA NEW CHAMPIONS

Uganda finished second and Kenya third at the 1973 African Games

Kenya’s George Oduori, the star of the tournament, scores an upset win over highly regarded Nigerian Eddie Ndukwu

Nigeria won the overall crown by the skin of their teeth at the 1973 African Games boxing tournament in Lagos.

With six finalists, Uganda were the favourites but the bubble burst and they had to be content with the second spot following the defeat of four of their six finalists.

After heavy exchange of fire, bruised Nigeria emerged winners with three gold medals, one silver and four bronze.

Uganda placed second with two gold medals, four silver and two bronze while Kenya finished third on two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

Algeria managed the fourth spot with one gold and four bronze medals with Zambia and Sudan next each with one gold and a bronze.
Guinea squeezed in with one gold, Ghana got two silver and three bronze, Niger and Tanzania one silver each.

Ethiopia, Tunisia, Cameroon, Madagascar and Dahomey ended with one bronze medal each.

Yes, in a capsule summary that’s how things went on in the hotly contested 1973 African Games boxing event at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Hall where excited Nigerian fans sung and danced to celebrate the victory of their boxers in the finals.

The Nigerian gold medallists were Africa Championships light-welterweight silver medallist Obisia Nwankpa, Olympic Games light-heavyweight bronze medallist Isaac Ikhouria and twice gold medallist in the Commonwealth Games Fatai Ayinla (pictured) who won silver at the 1972 Africa Championships in Nairobi.

The 1966 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Eddie Ndukwu won Nigeria’s one silver medal while the four bronze medallists were light-flyweight Samuel Eke, bantamweight John Ugwu, welterweight Joe Mensah and light-middleweight Lamotta.

Commonwealth Games and Africa light-flyweight champion James Odwori and bantamweight Dan Omolo won Uganda’s two gold medals and the four silvers coming from lightweight Peter Odhiambo, light-middleweight Abdallah Abuka, middleweight John Opio and light-heavyweight Mathias Ouma. Africa light-welterweight champion Mohamed Muruli and featherweight newcomer Ayub Kalule won Uganda’s two bronze medals.

The southpaw Kalule proved critics wrong by punching his way to the semi-finals, losing 3-2 points to Nigeria’s Eddie Ndukwu.When coach Grace Seruwagi selected Kalule instead of the Commonwealth Games silver medallist Deo Musoke, critics were quick to point out it was a wrong choice basing their argument on Musoke’s wealth of experience while Kalule was making his international debut but Seruwagi had noticed the great potential in the quietly spoken Kalule who the following year became the first African boxer to win a gold medal in the inaugural World Boxing Championships in Havana, Cuba.

Africa middleweight champion, the towering Peter Dula and sensational featherweight George Oduori won Kenya’s two gold medals, flyweight Isaac Maina settling for silver with light-middleweight skipper David Attan and light-flyweight Peter Ndirangu bagging Kenya’s two bronze medals.

Oduori was the star of the tournament, rising from obscurity to become an African champion through a shocking points victory over the more experienced and established Eddie Ndukwu of Nigeria who won gold in the 1966 and 1974 Commonwealth Games.

On return home, my good friend Oduori told me that was a battle royale. “My speed and jab were my main weapons,” he said of his action-packed bout with Ndukwu.

Despite making one trip to the canvas, the courageous Oduori, a product of South African coach Eddie “Papa” Musi at Bangladesh Boxing Club in Nairobi, put aside Ndukwu’s reputation and carried the fight to the Nigerian with his long range jabs and timely combinations. Oduori’s nimble footwork also helped him dance his way out of danger from Ndukwu’s stronger punches.

Oduori’s amazing victory was the talk of the town in Nairobi. It was just in December, 1972, that Oduori made his international debut by outpointing Tanzania’s silver medallist in Lagos, Habibu Kinyogoli, and the following month in January, 1973, he became an African champion without any international exposure and training with modern equipment.

At the Bangladesh gym in Kariobangi Estate where Oduori used to train, there was only one punch bag without a ring. Sparring was done on the floor of the gym and of course he had a skipping rope to improve his footwork.

Part two follows