Hit Squad head coach Benjamin Musa has unveiled a star-studded list of 21 boxers who will compete in the upcoming Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania.
The 13 men and 8 women summoned for national duty have been honing their skills in a non-residential training camp at the Mathare Depot in Nairobi for the past week.
"We are grateful that we were able to get together once more today to strategize for the upcoming Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships, which will take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from April 18–23," Musa said.
"The boxers in our camp have been practicing diligently. As soon as we got back from the IBA World Women's Boxing Championships in New Delhi, India, we started making immediate preparations," he added.
Musa said they have stepped up preparations for the men's team in advance of the upcoming IBA World Boxing Championships in Kazakhstan and reckoned that the Tanzania trip would offer them a perfect platform to gauge their medal potential.
"We were joined by the men who will be using the upcoming competition to prepare for the IBA World Boxing Championships scheduled to begin on May 1. We will be represented in all the divisions of the men's competition."
The gaffer claimed that when they ran out of time to carry out an appropriate selection process, they turned to well-known names.
"We made the decision to give priority to the female boxers who represented us in India in order for them to continue gaining the necessary experience before other big shows. If they succeed in winning their matches in Tanzania, hopefully, they will be able to regain their confidence."
Musa confirmed that they will leave for the games on April 16 and reiterated their desire to repeat Kenya's achievement from the previous year, when they won 18 medals.
"The camp is in a positive mood, and the boxers have very high levels of morale. By the time we leave for the competition, we should have sufficiently honed our act. We are relieved that there aren't any current injury concerns."
He warned the team to punch above their weight in preparation for possible medal success while acknowledging that they might face difficult competition.
"We will exert every effort to win as many medals as we can while keeping in mind that we finished second in the competition the previous year. We want to beat our previous six gold hauls and, if possible, win the competition. Although we are aware of the fierce competition, we have adequately prepared."
FULL SQUAD
MEN: Abednego Kyalo, David Karanja, Shaffi Bakari, Samuel Njau, Ethan Maina, Joseph Shighali, Steve Olang, Bonface Mugunde, Edwin Okong'o, Hezron Maganga, Robert Okaka, Peter Abuti, Elly Ajowi.
WOMEN: Christine Ongare, Veronica Mbithe, Emily Juma, Amina Martha, Pauline Chege, Stacy Ayoma, Frizah Anyango, Elizabeth Andiego.
