Suleiman Bilali at Landimawe Muthurwa. Photo Courtesy Suleiman Bilali at Landimawe Muthurwa. Photo Courtesy Born in Nairobi’s Eastland’s Landimawe area Suleiman Wanjau Bilali was regarded as one of the finest boxers in the country until he was struck by a rare brain condition. The 36 year old started in the lower divisions known as the novices’ and slowly rose up to the senior ranks and represented the country in major competitions locally and internationally. Among his accolades include winning gold in the 2003 and 2007 at the All African Games. Bilali twice beats the odds to come out of road accident to retain and win the commonwealth and defend the African Championships.BILALI 2 His winning streak was however cut short after he was struck by an illness that resulted into memory loss. Bilali who was then a General Service Unit was accorded leave on medical grounds. “The memory loss made me unable to discharge my duties effectively so the boss gave me thirty days off to seek medication,” says Bilali. He however never recovered and was unable to go back to work. “I later found out that I was discharged from duty on the 30th of June 2011 and since then I have never got even a penny from my employer” he lamented. His prowess in the ring caught attention of the former Head of State Mwai Kibaki who awarded him the head of state commendation. He says people close to him took advantage of his situation and squandered all the property he had acquired during his hay days in boxing. His sudden loss of job and property condemned into poverty and the life of begging on the streets. Bilali’s current life of living on handouts does not reflect the life of the man who held the country’s name and flag high internationally when he was in good health. He however recalls the efforts of former Government spokesman and now Machakos Governor and Chief Justice Willy Mutunga who helped him rise to the International standards. His biggest fight and most memorable bout is in Sydney Australia where Bilali was robbed of victory in the Olympics final Against Spanish Ortega where he lost marginally by a point 11-10, a game Bilali claimed he was robbed. Former Heavyweight Champions Evander Holyfield who attended the fight claimed the same. So much was Holyfield impressed with Bilali in the fight that he nicknamed him Bilali the ’Whitaker’ in reference to the American light weight Champion in the 89s Pernell Whitaker . The Kenya Boxing Association Chairman John Kameta told Ghetto Radio sports that the federation will organize a funds drive to help the former boxer who gave a lot for his country.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:44:22 +0000
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