Mahia‘i Naihe is heading to Colorado Springs to compete at the National Boxing Championships, June 19 to 26. “This is huge,” said Mark Ozaki, the Kaua‘i Police Activities League Coordinator and Naihe’s boxing trainer. “This is the qualifying year for
Mahia‘i Naihe is heading to Colorado Springs to compete at the National Boxing Championships, June 19 to 26.
“This is huge,” said Mark Ozaki, the Kaua‘i Police Activities League Coordinator and Naihe’s boxing trainer. “This is the qualifying year for the 2012 Olympics, and with Heavyweights you never know — they’re always just one big punch away from a knock out win.”
But it was not the big punch that earned Naihe the eligibility to the National Championships.
Naihe’s strength and conditioning provided the winning edge when he faced Mark Natalan of the Pearlside O‘ahu Boxing Club for the Hawai‘i State Super Heavyweight Championship, held on O‘ahu from April 1 through 3 at the Palolo Community Center.
Naihe and Antalan advanced to the finals after winning their respective bouts in the semifinals, Naihe by a walkover and Antalan taking a unanimous decision.
Antalan posed a formidable threat in the finals with a lot more experience than Naihe, who has been boxing for just several months, Ozaki said.
Antalan was the former Hawai‘i Junior Olympic Division State Super Heavyweight Champion, as well as a former competitor in the National Championships.
“Keep your hands up, throw sharp counter punches and use your strength by not taking a step backwards,” Ozaki said. “Wear Antalan down with your conditioning.”
Naihe, a former football and power lifting coach at Kapa‘a High School, as well as police officer with the Kaua‘i Police Department, followed the plan to win a unanimous decision for the state title.
When Naihe joined the K-PAL program, he had no intentions of boxing. Instead, he approached Ozaki about a year ago and asked if the K-PAL Boxing team needed coaching assistance.
Ozaki, knowing of Naihe’s experience with youth and how well he worked with them, could not turn down the offer.
But following several months of watching Naihe work, Ozaki recognized the assistant coach’s potential of not only being a good coach, but also of his potential to actually compete as a boxer. That recognition gave birth to the idea of possibly competing for the 2011 state title.
“Coach, if you think I can, shoots,” Naihe said. “I’ll try. I’ll work hard.”
He kept that promise, working hard in the gym for two hours daily, six days a week, supplementing the gym workout with running through Kapa‘a town at sunrise and lifting weights during his lunch breaks.
The road was still a long way from the state title and Naihe took the first step in January with his first boxing bout. He added two more bouts in February and March to bring his total to five bouts in three months, qualifying to enter the April championships.
When Naihe started training, he tipped the scales at 290 pounds, but entered the State Championships at 255 pounds.
“He was the least experienced boxer in the tournament, but more than made up for the lack of experience with tons of hard work and sacrifice,” Ozaki said. “He had God-given strength and toughness.”
Beyond being happy with Naihe’s opportunity for the 2012 Olympics, Ozaki is pleased with the example Naihe demonstrates to the young K-PAL Boxers who look at him as a mentor.
“Hard work, clean living, be humble, have a good attitude and good things will happen,” Ozaki said.
