The Kenyan Boxing Federation (BFK) will go against the wave of boycotts that have hit the coming World Championships slated for next month.

Last week Switzerland and the Netherlands joined six other nations in shunning this year's women's and men's world championships in New Delhi and Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in March and May 2023 respectively.

Te United States, Ireland, Britain, Czech Republic, Sweden and Canada have already declared they will skip the showpiece event.

But the Boxing Federation of Kenya through its secretary David Munuhe has said that ‘Hit Squad’ will participate.

"We are not following the trend of those who have boycotted the championship, they have their reasons, but we will send our female boxers to India to compete with others. Unfortunately it means the competition will be less intense, but it does not mean that it will be very easy.

“It is not to say that those who opt out are better than those who will participate. Not all countries are boycotting and I don't see any African country withdrawing from the games,” Munuhe said.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) has been sidelined by the IOC from the Paris process due to governance and after IBA decided last November to allow boxers from Russia and Belarus to compete with national flags and anthems, despite the war in Ukraine and against IOC guidance.

But IBA on its side has also said that boxers from boycotting nations can register directly for its championships and has offered to facilitate them.

Russian Umar Kremlev, president of the International Boxing Association (IBA) was elected unopposed last May after the Dutch boxing federation president Boris van der Vorst was declared ineligible.

But in June 2022 the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the Dutch official had been wrongly prevented from standing, but an extraordinary IBA congress in Armenia voted against holding a new election.

IBA said last week that athletes from 77 nations had confirmed their participation at the March 15-26 women's tournament.

The IBA was stripped of involvement in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and remains at odds with Olympic organizers. Qualifying for Paris 2024 is being organized by the IOC and boxing is not on the initial programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, pending reforms demanded by the IOC.