Boxer Achieng bags Sports Personality of the Month award

Commonwealth Boxing Council Champion Sarah Achieng is the LG/SJAK sports personality of the month of December 2022.

Achieng bagged the accolade after successfully defending her Commonwealth Super lightweight title against Zimbabwean challenger Chiedza Homakoma.

In winning the monthly award, Achieng took home a LG smart television worth Ksh 100,000 courtesy of LG East Africa.

The soft-spoken Achieng’ was all smiles after winning the coveted monthly trophy, becoming the fourth boxer to win the trophy after former WBC Champion Fatma Zarika, Judy Waguthii and Hit Squad mainstay Elly Ajowi.

Achieng said winning the award is a big boost ahead of the World Boxing Association (WBA) title in Belgium on February 4 where she will face off with home girl Oshin Deriew in the super lightweight category.

“It’s such a great feeling to win this award, more so, at a time I am preparing for my fight in Belgium next week. The award goes to show the hard work and determination we have achieved as Boxgirls, and I hope to continue working hard in my fights to take my career to the next level,” Achieng’ said after receiving the award on Thursday at the LG Showroom in Nairobi.

“My Coach (Irie Priest Onalo) has been instrumental in our training and indeed mentoring countless other girls from the sprawling Kariobangi to take up the sport of boxing. We owe him big time,” added Achieng’.

The 35-year- old hard-hitting boxer beat top nominees among them Chess National Champion Mehul Gohil, Roslidah Sumwa of Tennis and Collins Ndunda who won three medals at the Mombasa international Tong-il-Moo-Do Championship.

Achieng knocked out Chiedza aka “Queen Tiger” in the eighth round at the Charter Hall, Nairobi to achieve the feat.

The ‘Angel of War’ took absolute control of the fight from the first gong taking full advantage of her back-pedalling opponent, shaking her with strong body and face punches.

Unable to withstand Achieng stinging blows, Homakoma resorted to holding the sharper Kenyan boxer. Homakoma hardly shook Achieng with any telling punch as she was on the receiving end most of the time.

Achieng is a product of the revered Boxgirls Kenya, which is a community-based Organisation set up to build the work started by Coach Analo Anjere (popularly known as Priest).

Boxgirls has produced some of Kenya’s most prolific lady boxers including trail-blazing Kenya amateur team star Elizabeth Andiego, who became the first Kenyan lady to play at the Olympic Games in London 2012.

The pugilist joins the growing list of sports personalities who have laid hands on the LG title. Others include world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge, Faith Chengetich and Victoria.