Achieng named SJAK player of the month of December

Commonwealth super lightweight champion Sarah “Angel of War” Achieng’ is the LG/SJAK Sports Personality of the Month of December 2022.

Achieng' got the prestigious monthly award after retaining her title in Nairobi by beating Zimbabwean Chiedza "Queen Tiger" Homakoma in December last year.

“It’s great motivation to get the Sports Personality of the Month award. It came as a surprise to me. It will inspire me and other boxers, especially those upcoming to work hard in order to post good results and be recognised,” said Achieng’ after receiving the award which came with a 50-inch NanoCell LG television and a personalised plaque.

The 34-year-old stopped Homakoma in the eighth of the scheduled 10 rounds bout at Charter Hall, Nairobi.

The hard-hitting boxer beat top nominees among them Chess National champion Mehul Gohil, tennis Roselida Asumwa, who reached Rwanda Open singles final and won Rwanda Open doubles title partnering with her twin sister Angella Okutoyi, and Collins Ndunda who won three medals at the Mombasa international Tong-IL-Moo-Do Championship.

Achieng’s stellar performance in front of the home fans saw her get a shot at the World Boxing Association (WBA) Inter Continental super featherweight title slated for February 4 against home girl Oshin Derieuw in Belgium.

Derieuw, 35, who has been asked by the Belgian Olympic Committee if she is interested in representing her country at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, holds the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Inter-Continental super lightweight title that she won after beating Italian Silvia Bortot through a technical knockout in April 2022 in Belgium.

Achieng’, who trains under coach Alfred “Priest” Analo in Kariobangi North, bettered her record to 15 wins and two losses after beating Homakoma.