Richard Murunga

Richard Murunga
Richard Murunga
Personal information
Full name Richard Murunga
Nickname(s) "Dick" and "Tiger"
Nationality  Kenya
Born April 22, 1949 (1949-04-22) (age 62)
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 67 kilograms (150 lb)
Sport
Sport Boxing
Rated at Welterweight

Richard ("Dick" or "Tiger") Murunga (born 22 April 1949 in Amagoro, Teso District) is a former boxer from Kenya.

Contents

Amateur career

He started boxing in 1968, in the age of 19, encouraged by his father, Ernest Illuk,who was a Kenyan army officer. Two years later he joined the Kenyan Army.[1]

Murunga was a bronze medalist at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, losing to silver medalist Janos Kajdi.

He deserted the army in 1973 as Kenya boxing authorities did not allow him to join professional ranks. Subsequently he went to Uganda and competed at the East and Central Africa Amateur Boxing Association (Fescaaba) championship representing Uganda under pseudonym Feisal Musante. He was later arrested, when he returned to Kenya.[1]

Pro career

Known as "Tiger", Murunga turned pro after his impressive amateur career in 1973. He was promoted by Mogens Palle. Murunga was the first Kenyan professional boxer.[1]

He fought three fights in Europe, winning all three bouts and retiring late in 1974.

Personal life

Murunga has two wifes, Mariam Wambui and Nawal Ahmed; and Seven children. He converted to Islam when he married his second wife Nawal, and took a muslim name, Khalifa. Formerly based in Denmark and Kuwait, as of 2003 he lived in Bombolulu in Mombasa[1]

External links

References

  1. ^ a b c d Daily Nation, October 25, 2003: Knocked out by injury


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