Sports

Joshua, Ngannou throw ‘friendly’ banter ahead of super fight

Published

8 months ago

March 8, 2024

Ahead of the much-awaited “Super Fight” between Nigerian-born British boxer, Anthony Joshua, and his Cameroonian challenger, Francis Ngannou, the two pugilists engaged each other in a friendly banter during a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the big fight will hold at the Kingdom Arena on Friday night.

While engaging in the pre-fight conference which is often full of hard words, Ngannou, a former UFC mixed martial arts heavyweight champion, boasted that he would beat the much accomplished Joshua, a former world heavyweight champion.

He cited his first ever pro-boxing debut in October last year where he took on British WBC champion, Tyson Fury, and claimed he can go the whole mile against Joshua.

Although he ultimately lost to Fury, Ngannou managed to down him in the third round sending shockwaves through the boxing world.

But for the Joshua fight, Ngannou said this was just the beginning and that much more was to come.

“I’ve been in the factory, building, training, learning. And I think when I really get it, that’s when the world’s going to be shocked,” he joked.

“I’m just working, building, and learning about the sport. You know, the sport that I’ve loved my entire life. I didn’t have the opportunity to really do it and get some experience.”

Ngannou added that he would love to knock out Joshua, a two-time world heavyweight champion in their 10-round fight.

When Joshua took up the mike, he said the fight would afford him the opportunity to reestablish himself as a top contender and said he knows what he is up against in the ring with Ngannou.

“I spar, I do my film study, all that type of stuff, I keep it professional. But on the night is on the night, that’s different. All that text book stuff goes out the window and you’ve just got to be relentless, give your best,” he said.

Joshua, a former unified WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight champion, comes into the fight on the back of three successive wins, he is still haunted by his back-to-back losses to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk where he relinquished his belts.

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Sports

Kenyan court jails killers of Ugandan Olympian Kiplagat for 35 years

Published

9 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A Kenyan court sitting in Nairobi on Tuesday sentenced two men, Peter Ushuru Khalumi, 30, and David Ekai Lokere, 25, to 35 years in prison each for the murder of Ugandan Olympic athlete, Benjamin Kiplagat, who was stabbed to death last year.

Khalumi and Lokere were both found guilty by Justice Reuben Nyakundi of the Kenyan High Court in the northwestern city of Eldoret for stabbing the 34-year-old steeplechaser to death.

In his ruling, Nyakundi said overwhelming evidence from CCTV cameras showed the pair intentionally killed the athlete, adding that they had not shown any remorse for the pre-meditated crime and deserved a harsh sentence.

“Your actions were cruel to a defenceless person whose life you cut short contrary to God’s plan, where God intended man to live for a minimum of 70 years,” Nyakundi said while announcing the 35-year sentence for each defendant.

The judge however, rejected a plea from Kiplagat’s mother, Elizabeth Chemweno, and his two brothers who wanted Khalumi and Lokere to be given life sentences.

The two convicts were arrested a day after the athlete’s body was found in his car on the outskirts of Eldoret on New Year’s Eve with a deep wound to his neck in a murder that shocked the country and Africa in general.

Kiplagat who was born in the Eldoret region in Kenya, had an illustrious career spanning almost two decades, and had represented Uganda internationally in the 3,000m steeplechase, including at several Olympic Games and World Championships.

He won the silver medal in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2008 World Junior Championships and bronze at the African Championships in 2012 and made the semi-finals of the event at the 2012 Olympics in London and also competed in Rio in 2016.

Sports

Chepkirui leads Kenya to podium sweep at New York City Marathon

Published

1 day ago

November 4, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Kenya had a clean sweep of the podium at the 2024 New York City Marathon on Sunday as Sheila Chepkirui clinched victory in the race, clocking 2:24:35, with the defending champion, Hellen Obiri, securing second place, while Vivian Cheruiyot finished third.

In just her fourth marathon, Chepkirui ran a ferocious last half mile to win the race ahead of Obiri, the 2024 Olympic bronze medalist.

Chepkirui, 33, came into the race with the fastest personal best in the field, 2:17:29, which she ran at the 2022 Valencia Marathon though this is her her first win at a world marathon major.

Speaking in the post-race press conference the race, she said:

“Winning means a lot to me. It means my training has been going well, and I’m really happy for the win.

“The last turn was really tough. I was still with Hellen. I told myself I had to push up at the finish line.

“In the last mile, it was really hard. I pushed myself. I’m so happy. I pushed myself to the limit.”

This Kenyan dominance underscores the nation’s strength in long-distance running, particularly in major marathon events.

The 2024 New York City Marathon featured a competitive field, but the Kenyan athletes’ performances stood out, reaffirming their status as leading figures in women’s marathon running.