• Coach Musa upon dropping six boxers in Nanyuki candidly admitted that it was a tough decision axing Cosby.
• A team of eight men and five women was yesterday named in conformity with the new Olympic format which reduces men's weight slots by two and hands the ladies two more.
Image: ERICK BARASA
African Games bronze medalist Cosby Ouma says he's taking positively his axing from the national boxing team.
The Hit Squad departs for Dakar, Senegal on Sunday for the African Olympics qualifiers. The 23-year-old Constable attached to Railway Police reckons that everything happens for a reason and its own given time.
"God's time is definitely the best. I am taking the coaches' decision positively and hope to build on my knowledge for a better future," said Cosby, who lost to professional boxer Rayton Okwiri."
"Okwiri is definitely the better boxer who savours a wealth of experience. I have definitely learnt a lot more about this camp that should come in handy in my career. I wish Okwiri all the best," added Cosby.
Coach Musa Benjamin yesterday named a team of eight men and five women in conformity with the new Olympic format which reduces men's weight slots by two and hands the ladies two more. The new format has also phased out light-flyweight prompting boxers in the division to move a berth higher.
Coach Musa upon dropping six boxers in Nanyuki candidly admitted that it was a tough decision axing Cosby.
"Dropping Cosby is not the decision we desired as the technical arm. He (Cosby) is definitely the future of middleweight division in Kenya and will definitely go far given his hard-hitting antics and precision boxing. He is also an astute student of the game and impressed with his meticulous preparations for flights. But after considering many facets of the sport, we settled for Okwiri due to experience. Cosby was impressive in Morocco during the All African Games but then we felt he has more time to catch up given his age and an insatiable appetite for success," said Coach Musa.
Among those dropped were flyweight David Karanja, featherweight Martin Oduor of Police, Edwin Okongó 'Ocox' of KDF and Joshua Wasike (heavyweight) of Nairobi County.
The final ladies team has Commonwealth bronze medalist Christine Ongare (flyweight), Beatrice Akinyi (featherweight), Everlyne Akinyi (welterweight) and Kenya's first and only Olympian Elizabeth Andiego.
Andiego represented the country in the 2012 London Olympics alongside retired Benson Gicharu.
Kenya will also be without veteran lady boxer Lorna Kusa who was dropped prior to the teams' departure to high altitude training in Nanyuki. The team will be captained by Beijing Olympian Nick Okoth who will be deputised by Andiego.
Meanwhile, Boxing Federation of Kenya (BAK) President Anthony Otieno Ombok aka Jamal has lauded the boxers picked for the qualifiers in the Senegalese capital.
He said: "Today marks the end of a long and pulsating residential training camp. I congratulate the County Government of Laikipia for their warm reception, making us feel that this is our home away from our homes and for helping us with the hall which we have been using for our training. We equally congratulate the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) and the Ministry of Sports for their support during this time we have been in this residential camp," observed Otieno.
"Lastly, we thank the coaches in consultation with the BFK after doing their evaluation based on boxers' individual performance in the training camp and finally coming up with the final list of players who will represent us in Senegal later this month. It is my humble request that those who were not lucky remain focused on upcoming events."