How the career of Kenya's heavy weight boxer was cut short
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E-mail Xinhua, May 23, 2013
Even before the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games was over, a Kenyan boxing champion's downward swirl had already began.
The man is James Omondi, who for years was feared by boxers around the world.
The huge 6'1'' swarty and hard-featured former African amateur heavyweight champion for many years is today living in the glory of last years.
Christened 'Demosh' - slang for the demolisher - by his fellow boxing peers, Omondi still retains the verve and showmanship of his heyday in the ring where he mercilessly 'demolished' dozens of his opponents.
"By 1983 when I got my nickname, no worthy adversary in the African continent survived the three designated rounds in all my bouts," Omondi told Xinhua in an interview late on Friday.
That same year, he was ranked third among the 10 best amateur boxers in the world.
A year later, his swift debilitating punches and inspiring showmanship saw him being declared the Boxer-of-the-Year, Sportsman-of-the-Year and overall team captain of the Kenyan contingent to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
In 1987, he bagged the prestigious King's Cup gold medal in Bangkok, Thailand.
By the time he finally quit boxing, he had made Kenya (and by extension Africa) proud by bringing her four gold medals, two silver and two bronze medals in a record 102 international bouts, losing only two.
Born in 1928 in the low income Eastlands area of Nairobi, away from books says he was eager to discover and enjoy the fulfillment of teenage adventures. "The 1960s and 70's was an era of gangs but I was a lone brawler," he said.
With his agility as a 1st Dan black belt karateka, Omondi was well known throughout Eastlands as a fearless street fighter. All this however brought him no real satisfaction. Something else did - boxing.
"When I saw Muhammad Ali, a relatively small man bring down Sonny Liston, a giant, I was immediately inspired."
That was the spark that was needed to light the fire of the future champion.
In 1970, under Ugandan coach Joseph Sarukuma, Omondi's boxing career began. Two years later he became the light weight novice champion there was no looking back.
In 1974 he was nudged to join the taxing heavyweight berth, where for the next 13 years he stood firm as the undefeated Kenyan title holder.
Omondi impressed many and got recruited in the army in 1976. It was at the Armed Forces Amateur Boxing Association that the very best of Omondi came through.
He was ready to don the national colours in international engagements. And he did it with much zest to the amazement of everyone. He didn't let Kenya down.
During the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the Moscow Olympic gold medalist Francisci Damiani form Italy chose 'Demosh' to be his sparring partner - a rare recognition at the time.
Damiani was readying himself for a much heralded bout against US pugilist Tony Tubbs. In this arrangement, 'Demosh' was to be paid 300 U.S. dollars per session.
It is this money that landed 'Demosh' with his boxing team manager, a Lieutenant Colonel, who wanted a share of the money. An unfortunate disagreement and the end result was a disgraced 'Demosh'.
He was hurriedly and unceremoniously bundled onto the next plane to Nairobi for "indiscipline". His troubles had just started. Demotion followed suit. His epaulettes of a Sergeant- Major were taken away.
With much sadness he left the army as a Corporal in 1985, and joined the Kenya Railways. He was soon to find out that though he could run he couldn't hide. The bad omen of rubbing officials the wrong way still followed him.
The country's Amateur Boxing Association made his sterling boxing career more difficult, where the Lieutenant Colonel was the vice-chairman. They labeled him "uncooperative and indisciplined".
Finally in 1987, after an unforgettable and exotic swansong bout, which saw him clinch the gold medal in the King's Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, 'Demosh' left the railways men and hung his gloves.
"It was infuriating and heart-breaking for me to be showered with praise as the 'indisciplined champ' in the press and in front of kids. I needed a break and I was tired of it all," he sullenly recalls.
The next years saw him buried in odd menial jobs and also trying his hand in various business ventures.
High-handedness and official corruption played a significant role in depriving Africa of its latent boxing talent. Endi
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