Kenya national team “Hit Squad” continued with their good run in Congo Brazzaville as they landed seven boxers in African boxing championship quarters.
Victor Ater of Kenya demolished Mahatonga Cedrick to advance to quarters.
But Kenyan top lady Christine Ongare lost to Boualam Roumasya to bow out of the continental extravaganza. Martin Oduor, who turns out for Police Chafua Chafua, beat Molawantwa George to sail through to the quarters.
A win for the 8 locals will not only see them through to semi finals but will also earn them slots in the 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championship slated for Hamburg, Germany.
Four boxers in each weight division will earn tickets to participate in the World Championship.
Heavyweight Tobias Okeyo also cruised through to the quarters to book a date with Christian Ndzie Tsoye of Cameroon.
Light heavyweight Elly Ajowi also earned a place in the quarters. He is paired against Kaonga Mbachi of Zambia.
Middleweight John Kyalo will also fly the country’s flag in the last eight against Carlos Glory of DRC while Welterweight Black Moses Mathenge has a date with Sedik Mohamed of Egypt.
Mathenge, a product of Mombasa boxing ranks, returned to the national team last year to replace his long-standing adversary Rayton Okwiri who turned professional.
Light welterweight Victor Ater will play Mbaya Mulumba of DRC.
Olympian Nick Okoth qualified for the lightweight quartets and is paired against Ngoma Emmanuel of Zambia.
Okoth, a sibling to Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games silver medalist Absalom Okinyi, is the most experienced Kenyan boxer.
Okoth played in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and crashed out in the preliminary round.
Other Kenyans in the quarters are bantamweight Martin Oduor of Police who is paired against Vadamootoo Jean of Mauritius and Light flyweight Shaffi Bakari who will square off with Moussiessie Francel of Congo.
The world boxing governing body AIBA introduced continental qualifiers to make the global championship a lot more competitive.
For Kenyans, the international events are a build-up to the 2020 Olympic qualifiers.