Just surviving in the squalor of Nairobi’s Kibera slum seems like enough of a struggle, but Kevin Onyango, the rising star of Thai boxing in Kenya, intends to fight his way out of there.
Kevin, who aims to become world champion, starts every day in the same way. At dawn, boxing gloves on hands, he leaves the tiny room he rents at the back of a mud-hut tailor’s shop and makes his way up a filthy dirt track to the small room above a public shower block where he trains twice a day.
A quick warm-up and the training session starts: uppercuts, hooks, low kicks, high kicks ... the blows thud on the leather punchbags that his opponent holds at arm’s length.
Photo: AFP
Muay thai, also called Thai kick-boxing, is known as the art or the science of eight limbs, because it involves eight points of contact — hands, shins, elbows and knees — as opposed to two points — the fists — in boxing and four points — the hands and feet — in some other martial arts.
Dripping with sweat, Kevin, 18, gives himself a few seconds between rounds in which to catch his breath.
Down below a handful of drug addicts are starting their day. The smell of cannabis wafts upstairs.
Photo: AFP
“My aim is to get out of Kibera. I don’t want to spend my life here. If I get good money then I’ll get out of Kibera. I want to be world champion and I’m sure I’ll get there,” Kevin said.
Kevin has lived in Kibera since the death of his parents eight years ago. Taken in by his uncle, he started out by making charcoal stoves, sleeping on the dirt floor of the hut and barely making enough money to feed himself.
He started Thai boxing just three years ago through a humanitarian project funded by the Danish embassy.
“Fight for a child” financed Thai boxing classes for about 30 children from Kibera at a gym with a good reputation, the Colosseum.
Kevin discovered muay thai with Andre Leenheer, a Dutch former professional boxer and chief promoter of the sport in Kenya.
“Thai boxing is a school of life. These abandoned children not only learn to defend themselves, they get to learn discipline, effort, trust ... and then they give back to their community,” Leenheer said.
The “Fight for a child” project is currently on hold for lack of financing, but Kevin is still doing Thai boxing.
“When Kevin [first] came here he didn’t use to say anything, he didn’t talk to anyone. He was always looking down. If you see him now he’s on top of the world,” said Leenheer, who supervises Kevin’s training sessions.
“Kevin has a natural talent for sure. If he sticks with me a bit longer he’s going to go for the top for sure,” Leenheer went on. “If you have the discipline to be a fighter you can also bring that into your normal life also. In your job, in your relationship, whatever you face in the world you’ve been there before.”
Leenheer, who settled in Kenya in 1999, has taken 10 of his recruits to international level, including Douglas Mutua, who ranked eighth in the world.
With generous sponsorship from a private individual — an expatriate fan of martial arts — Kevin is about to set off for Thailand, first to attend a training camp and then to fight professionally.
He also hopes to go to the Netherlands, one of the European countries most advanced in the field of Thai boxing.
“The aim is to take part in K-1,” Leenheer said, referring to the most famous kick-boxing events that brings together all the sport’s champions.
Kevin’s metamorphosis from timid slum orphan to champion will then be complete.
Taiwan’s Lee Hao-yu on Friday went 0-for-3 in his MLB debut for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, becoming the 19th Taiwan-born player to reach the big leagues. The Tigers ultimately lost 1-0 in 10 innings, ending their six-game winning streak. The 23-year-old started at third base and batted eighth for Detroit. He was promoted from Triple-A Toledo ahead of the four-game series against the Red Sox at the latter’s home stadium, replacing injured utility player Zach McKinstry. “Being right-handed, and given our schedule, I think six of the next 12 games are going to
Matheus Cunha on Saturday fired Manchester United toward the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win at Chelsea, while Tottenham Hotspur remain in the relegation zone after twice blowing the lead to draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Chelsea failed to take advantage of a United defense ravaged by injury and suspension as a fourth straight league defeat for the Blues left their Champions League hopes in ruins. United have missed out on the riches of Europe’s elite competition for the past two seasons, but are closing in on a return thanks to an upturn in fortunes under interim manager
Italian soccer is at its lowest ebb in nearly 40 years after a wholesale European exodus at club level followed the nation’s failure for the third successive time to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, and compounded a leadership and structural crisis. The exits suffered by Bologna and ACF Fiorentina on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League respectively meant no Italian teams are left in European competition this season. Italy’s last remaining UEFA Champions League contenders, Atalanta BC, went out in the round of 16 last month. It is the first time since the 1986-1987 campaign that Italian clubs
The Detroit Tigers’ Lee Hao-yu on Monday collected his first and second MLB hits in their 8-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The Tigers’ No. 6 prospect, who batted eighth, had an RBI single and a double in four at-bats at Fenway Park, raising his batting average to .182. “He was super thrilled to get his first hit,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said after the game. “There’s only one first, you know, and for him, it’s been a couple of games where he’s really been wanting to do it. I’m glad he did it here.” “Young guys settle in when they start
RSS