BAK names female boxers for Commonwealth Games

What you need to know:

  • The quartet represented the country in the inaugural India Open Boxing tournament in Delhi from January 28 to February 1.

Only four female boxers have made it to the “Hit Squad” which will represent the country in the Commonwealth Games set for the Gold Coast, Australia from April 4-15.

The quartet represented the country in the inaugural India Open Boxing tournament in Delhi from January 28 to February 1.

They are: Christine Ongare (light flyweight), Veronica Mbithe (flyweight), Lorna Kusa (welterweight) and Elizabeth Andiego (middleweight).

Boxing Association of Kenya (BAK) president John Kameta yesterday said out of the 10 male boxers who accompanied the four women to India, three will be dropped from the “Club” Games squad.

“We will announce our final squad a few days before we depart for the Games. We want the 10 boxers to train hard for the Games as none is guaranteed of a place in the squad,” Kameta told Nation Sport.

The 10 male boxers who were selected for the games during the trails at the Kaloleni Social Hall, Nairobi, on January 6 include light flyweight Shaffi Bakari (Police), flyweight Mohamed Ali (kongowea, Mombasa), bantamweight Benson Gicharu (Police) and lightweight Nick Okoth (KDF).

Others are welterweight Jacob Kimathi (Prison), middleweight Edwin Okongo (KDF), light heavyweight Nick Abaka (KDF), heavyweight Elly Ajowi (Police) and super heavyweight Fredrick Ramogi (KDF).

The Kenyan pugilists were humiliated in India, with none returning home with a medal from the event.

Kenya’s head coach Patrick Maina on Thursday said that they are working on the mistakes they noticed during the event.

The team has 23 boxers in the camp, 19 men and four women.

Maina said that they were still training at the Kenya Police Deport in Mathare as the earlier plans for a residential training camp in Nakuru’s Madison Square Garden did not materialise due to lack of funds.