The rise of Changamwe boxing wonder kid Mwinyi Kombo

Like most boxers, Mwinyi Kombo's journey in boxing has not been without challenges.

He has gone through bumps and potholes but he never gave up because he believed in himself.

Kombo started boxing in 2012 at Changamwe Boxing Club under coaches Shaban Wangalwa and George Opiyo, aka Spider, both former boxers with the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

"The two coaches are the ones who made me what I am today; they gave me a firm foundation," says Kombo.

Kombo's journey then was not easy. As a light flyweight, he faced stiff competition from top boxers in his weight category at Changamwe, such as Abdallah "One Love" Juma and Leonard Mwambingu.

"I was 14 years old - they treated me as a small boy, and also to gain selection into the Coast team, you had to take part in the trials," recalls Kombo, who is now likely to land a permanent job at Kenya Prisons or the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

Kombo's breakthrough came in 2015, when he was picked by one of two Coast teams to feature in the East African club championships in Mombasa. He demonstrated his presence by punching his way to the semi-finals in Makande.

"I was very happy with my performance; those who had been doubting my ability started respecting me in the ring."

The following year was even more fruitful for Kombo when he travelled with the Mombasa team to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the Mayors Cup tournament.

He won gold in the light-flyweight division in Dar and went on to clinch the national novice title.

To prove that his sterling show in Tanzania and in the novices tournament was no flash in the pan, Kombo captured the 2017 national intermediate title at Kaloleni Social Hall in Nairobi, representing Kongowea Boxing Club.

He joined Kongowea officially in 2018 and became a student of the popular coach in Mombasa, William Okumu.

"Competition was tough at Kongowea; due to a weight problem, I moved up to flyweight. Mohammed Ali was their best flyweight.

"I was still young; I had to show I'm good, though it was not easy in the flyweight. Ali and I were good friends but I had to prove myself that I'm better than Ali in sparring, which I did."

After Kombo proved his mettle, Ali moved up to bantamweight.

"We spoke as friends and Ali agreed to go up to bantamweight. He was a very good boxer and we wanted to maintain our strength. Hamza Said had to vacate bantamweight and go up to lightweight to fight it out with Said Baguan. He's in Dubai and currently boxing as a pro. There was no featherweight class then."

Kombo appreciates coach Okumu for exposing him to the national boxing league, which enabled him to meet tougher opponents.

Why did he decide to join the Prisons Boxing Club?, I ask Kombo.

"Boxing right now in Mombasa and the Coast Region is not at the best level - there's little activity, unlike in the past. During the days of John Kameta, we had several competitions. I love boxing and therefore had to join prisons to be more active and come out of my comfort zone."

Kombo started representing prisons last year but they've not yet employed him. He's currently working as a gym instructor at 180 Degrees Gym in Tudor, Mombasa.

"If prisons offer me a job fine, my options are open, and I'm ready for any good employer, even KDF and police," says Kombo, born 24 years ago in Kisauni and now residing in Kongowea.

In addition to his natural power, Kombo's other positive attribute is his ability to read his opponent's game plan and quickly repulse that with his own strategy.

"I'm always fast to know the plan of my opponents and counter by beating them at their own game or forcing them into my trap, during which I take charge and punish them accordingly," says Kombo, who is very grateful to former KPA boxer George "Spider" Opiyo for sharing with him a variety of tricks in the ring, which of course he can't disclose here for obvious reasons.

Having stamped his authority in the featherweight division during the Kenya Open event, Kombo is now on the verge of joining the national team.

He has proved himself by beating the best. Among the international tournaments beckoning are the Mandela African Boxing Cup in Durban, South Africa, this month and the 2nd World Olympic Qualification in Bangkok, Thailand, in May.

Additional reporting by Nenez Media Services