Kenyan boxer Martin Achebi to face Luca Finon in welterweight bout in Mauritius
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 12.06.24. | 15:15
The 23-year-old Achebi, aiming for his sixth consecutive win after securing his last five victories against Kenyan opponents via technical knockout
Kenyan boxer Martin Achebi will face off against Luca Finon of Mauritius in a welterweight non-title bout set for the 22 June in Mauritius.
The 23-year-old Achebi, aiming for his sixth consecutive win after securing his last five victories against Kenyan opponents via technical knockout, will fight in a four-round match.
Achebi is one of the boxers signed by Hand of God Promotions Limited, which plans to organize a series of local and international fights in Kenya and abroad.
"The bout is important to me; my opponent is good, and I will not underestimate him. I am confident I will floor him. Boxer welfare needs to be prioritized for the state of boxing to improve," Achebi said.
Achebi’s ambition is to be crowned a world champion one day and to support upcoming professional boxers.
“I started my pro boxing career last year to change the sport in the country. My main target and dream is to become a world champion one day, so I am calling for promoters to cater to the welfare of boxers, which plays a big role in the ring. Naomba support ya mashabiki wangu katika pigano hili na nawahakikishia mpinzani wangu hatamaliza raundi nne,” asserted Achebi.
Finon, on his part, will be taking to the ring for his third fight since turning pro last year. The 21-year-old has won one fight by technical knockout and lost another on points.
Speaking after issuing a license to Hand of God Promotions, Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) President Reuben Ndolo reiterated their commitment to working with promoters to support professional boxing and assured their continued collaboration with the amateur boxing federation to lift the standards of pro boxing in Kenya.
“The promoter has tried; they have a good calendar of events. Most importantly, it is for our youth to get employment through boxing, and all we want to do is ensure that they have money to pay boxers after their bouts; that’s why we issued them a license,” said Ndolo.
Ndolo also lamented the absence of Kenyan amateur boxers from the Olympic Games, calling for urgent government intervention.
“I am appealing to the government to invest more funds, which will ensure both our boxers and trainers get exposure from the best amateur boxing countries. Boxing has changed, and we also need to change our tactics. It's so painful for our boxers to miss out on this year’s Olympic Games, and we need an immediate remedy. There is no good professional boxing without having good amateur boxers,” Ndolo emphasized.
Victor Olingo, CEO of Hand of God Promotions, said their ultimate goal is to improve the welfare and landscape of professional boxing.
“We are welcoming all boxers who are turning pro, and Hand of God Promotions is open to both new and established professional boxers from all parts of the world. Our goal is to promote youth and reduce vices in the community through boxing. We will unveil our calendar of events, and our plan is to have 8 to 12 bouts every year in different fight categories,” said Olingo.
"What we are going to do differently from other promoters is explain expectations to boxers to develop a basic understanding, which has been the main undoing of many promoters," Olingo added.
Hand of God Promotions has partnered with Advance Fitness Center Club in South B, which will serve as the training facility for its boxers.
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