BAK upbeat Kenyan boxers will rumble at African Games

Eight male and four female boxers will represent Kenya in the 12th African Games set for Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco from August 19-31.

Boxing Association of Kenya (BAK) secretary, David Munuhe, on Saturday said that the boxers have moved to residential training camp at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. He also said that the team will leave for Morocco on August 15.

Munuhe said that flyweight Shaffi Bakari (Police), who won a bronze medal in the 2017 Africa Championships in Congo Brazzaville, and veteran pugilist featherweight Nick Okoth, a gold medallist in the same event are Kenya’s top medal prospects in Morocco. The women’s team has middleweight Elizabeth Andiego who competed in the 2012 London Olympics.

"We have a few male and female boxers in the camp who will be sparring partners for the squad. All the boxers are fit and rearing to go and we are so far very lucky as we do not have any injuries,” Munuhe said.

Before they moved to Kasarani, the boxers were training at the Kenya Police Deport, Mathare.

In Morocco, the boxers have a herculean task as they try to improve on the eight gold medals record Kenya set during the 1987 All Africa Games in Nairobi.

The gold medallists included the late welterweight, Robert Wangila, who won Kenya and Africa her first Olympics gold medal in the welterweight division during the 1988 Seoul Games.

SQUAD

Men: Flyweight Shaffi Bakari (Police), featherweight Nick Okoth (KDF), lightweight Ethan Maina (Police), welterweight Boniface Mugunde (Police), middleweight George Ouma (Police), light heavyweight Edwin Okonga (KDF), heavyweight Elly Ajowi (Police) and super heavyweight Fredrick Ramogi (KDF)

Female boxers: Flyweight Christine Ongwae (Police), lightweight Everly Akinyi (Kisumu), welterweight Lorna Kusa (Police) and Elizabeth Andiego (Nairobi)