Okoth crashes out of CGames in Australia

Nicholas Okoth lost his opening bout in the men’s 60kg Round of 32 against Alexander Michael of Trinidad and Tobago, dealing a first blow to Kenya’s medal chase at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Olympian Okoth sustained a deep cut on the head in the first round, forcing the referee to call an end to the bout with his opponent also injured in the collision. His cut needed six stitches with that of Michael needing four.

The lightweight boxer had made vain attempts to obtain clips of his opponent prior to the fight and admitted he was utterly disappointed by the quick end to his Gold Coast dream.

“I know he saw my fight and when we started fighting nobody wanted to be the first to through the punch. He was so afraid of me so when I tried a lower right punch on the stomach that is where we collided and got injured.

“My wife called me yesterday; she sent me videos of African fights and she encouraged me to pick more from here and I tried most of them but a win was not in God’s plan,” Okoth told Citizen Digital.

Three other Kenyan boxers will be in action on Friday with Elly Ajowi facing Scotland’s Scott Forrest in the 91kg category while Shaffi Hassan Bakari clashes with Namibian Matias Hamunyela in the 49kg category and Edwin Owuor Okong fights Selemani Kidunda of Tanzania.

In the women’s triathlon, Kenyan Hanifa Said finished 23rd out of 24 competitors after finishing the 750m swim in 14 minutes 28 seconds, 38:41 in the 20km bike ride and 23:04 in the 5km run to register a total time of 1:15:18, which is 18 minutes and 28 seconds behind the winner Flora Durfy of Barmuda.

In the men’s squash singles round of 64 Kenyan Hardeep Reel lost 3-2 to Othniel Bailey, of St Vincent and the Grenadines, while Khaaliqa Nimji lost to Nikki Todd of Canada in the womens singles round of 32.

Eunice mbugua won her first game in Lawn bowls beating Cathrerine Wimp of Papua New Guinea 21-15, before losing 21-7 to Carmen Anderson of Norfolk Islands