Kenya awaits gold in African Games
What you need to know:
- Kenya entered the 11th day of the games on Monday with five medals; two silver and the bronze.
- Nancy Akinyi had late last week given Kenya a rare medal when she claimed bronze in Mountain Bike Cross Country Marathon (XCM). She lost the battle to Kimberley Le Court from Mauritius, who won gold as compatriot Aurelie Halbwachs got silver.
Kenya secured rare medals in women’s 4xs100m medley in swimming and mountain bike in the ongoing African Games in Rabat, Morocco.
The country is also assured of three medals from boxing as three “Hit Squad” boxers pounded their way into the semi-finals, with four more reaching the quarterfinals.
The boxing performance will definitely supersede the show from the 2015 Congo Brazzaville games, where Kenya got two bronze medals. The last time Kenya won a gold medal was in 2003 edition in Abuja, Nigeria through Suleiman Bilali in light flyweight.
The swimming women quartet of Maria Brunlehner, Emily Muteti, Sylvia Brunlehner and Rebecca Kamau gave the country its first medal ever in women’s relays at the Games on Sunday.
They clocked 4 minutes and 21.72 seconds, losing out to South Africa’s team of Kerryn Herbst, Kaylene Corbett, Erin Gallagher and Emma Chelius, who timed 4:12.42 for gold, with Egypt’s Rola Hussein, Sarah Soliman, Farida Osman and Hania Moro getting silver in 4:20.07.
Kenya men’s 4x100m medley team of Abubaker Swaleh, Samuel Ndonga, Maaher Harunani and Ridhwani Abubaker settled sixth and last in 4:09.59. South Africa's Martin Binedell, Alaric Basson, Ryan Coetzee and Douglas Erasmus won gold in 3:40.24.
Rebecca Kamau missed bronze to settle fourth in women’s 200m medley in 2:22.18 in a final won by South Africa’s Jessica Whelan in 2:19.44 as Rania Hamida (Algeria) 2:20.57 and Christin Mundell (South Africa) 2:21.70 won silver and bronze respectively.
Kenya entered the 11th day of the games on Monday with five medals; two silver and the bronze.
Nancy Akinyi had late last week given Kenya a rare medal when she claimed bronze in Mountain Bike Cross Country Marathon (XCM). She lost the battle to Kimberley Le Court from Mauritius, who won gold as compatriot Aurelie Halbwachs got silver.
Akinyi’s medal came hot on the heels of other Kenya’s two medal haul in tae kwon-do- a silver and bronze.
Kibabi University’s Faith Ogallo was forced to settle for silver medal in women’s heavyweight with varsity mate Evelyn Aluoch going for bronze in middleweight.
Ogallo lost to home exponent Fatima-Ezzahra Aboufaras in the final, while Aluoch fell to the eventual gold medal winner Maisoun Tolba from Egypt in the semi-finals.
Kenya's pair of Naomi Too and Gaudencia Makokha won the country's first medal at the African Games after settling for silver on Tuesday.
Too and Makokha went down to Egypt in straight sets of 13-21 and 15-21 in women’s beach volleyball final.
In boxing, Boniface Mogunde (Welterweight), Fredrick Ramogi (Super heavyweight) and Elly Ajowi (Heavyweight) made short work of their opponents to reach the semi-finals of their respective categories.
Mogunde, the Kenya Police boxer, edged out Nafital Afonso Goma from Angola 5-0 on Sunday evening and is to face Abdul-afeez Ayoola from Nigeria in the semi-final on Wednesday. Ayoola beat Egyptian Mohamed Hikal when the referee stopped the contest to save Egyptian in the first round.
Ramogi also showed no mercy on home boxer Mohamed Firisse, whom he stopped in the first round after his seconders threw in the towel, forcing the referee to halt the bout.
Ramogi will now meet Congolese Jeamie Kimbembi in the semi-final on Wednesday. Kimbembi beat Morais Davilson from Cape Verde 5-0 to book a date with Ramogi.
Ajowi silenced the fancied Nigerian, Franklin Chukwudi Arinze 3-1 to advance and will now take on home pugilist Youness Baalla in the semi-final on Wednesday. Baalla knocked out Oiva Ueitele from Namibia in the first round for an interesting showdown with Ajowi.
Hit Squad skipper Nick OKoth is set to meet Mohamed Hamout of Morocco in featherweight on Monday evening, while Shaffi Bakari is to exchange with Ugandan Champion Businge in flyweight all in the quarterfinals.
Another Kenyan boxer Cosby Ouma will to take on Arena Pakela from Lesotho in middleweight in the other quarterfinal duel.
Kenya’s Commonwealth bronze medallist Christine Ongare will face Nigerian Ayisat Morenikeji Oriyomi in flyweight quarterfinal showdown.
