Sport

OBED ABA CHAMPION AGAIN DESPITE INJURY

15 May 2009

John Prendergast
johnp@southwarknews.org

Lynn light-heavyweight Obed Mbwakongo regained his ABA national crown last weekend, despite fighting with an injured hand.

The twenty-year-old outpointed Lawrence Osueke from Northumbria by eight points to three, despite admitting himself that he rarely got out of second gear.

Mbwakongo has shown punching power to go with his finesse on his way to the English crown this year, but his camp kept the injury quiet so opponents were not aware he was hurt.

The amiable Mbwakongo last won the title two years ago, and admitted to the 'News' that his experience that he has gained in the interim helped him secure this year’s crown.

He said: "I found the title win two years ago a lot harder as I was just a seventeen-year-old, but in the two years since then I have developed a lot and came across a lot of different opponents and have beaten most of them.
"Some people said I didn't even get out of second gear at the weekend and maybe I didn't, but I did enough to win."

Although happy with his win there was one man who could not hold back his pleasure at the result, and that was Obed's father, who was ringside: "My Dad was there at the final and he was over the moon, it was a bit crazy how delighted he was and he was probably happier than me."

Samm Mullins, who trains the young fighter at his Walworth Gym, was also chuffed at the outcome.
He said: "It's brilliant for him and for the club. He had a bad hand but we didn't want people to know. I kept putting him in and saying I would give him a round and he kept winning.

"There hasn't been a champion at the club for fifteen years, but we have got one in our first year and it’s great for all the team here."Mullins and Mbwakongo must now sit down and decide if the young fighter will enter the British championship, where the English champ takes on their Scottish and Welsh counterparts.

Meanwhile the ripple of success is being noted by the other boxers at the Lynn. Mullins said: "It gives them something to aim for, a lot of them say they just want to fight for the South East title but then they see Obed and they realise they can do it too.

"Obed comes in and trains, listens and turns up and does his stuff and now he has got his reward. He is something of an icon in here now, and the kids all talk to him about being on TV and all that, but he just laughs it off."
Michael Shannon is now the last remaining junior boxer in the ABA's from the Lynn and he will fight again this weekend in the semi-finals. Lerrone Richards lost his latest encounter last weekend to end his hopes for this year.

---

Social Bookmarks:
del.icio.us Digg Newsvine Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon
Wikipedia: social bookmarking

---