The national boxing team, 'Hit Squad', have intensified their training ahead of the final round of 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers scheduled for June 2021.
Coach Benjamin Musa said that the coaches are closely assessing the boxers to ensure they are in the best condition to compete.
"We are now embarking on a daily sparring and pad-work sessions that will surely give boxers a chance to feel the much-needed ring experience as well as injecting the requisite technical finesse. After a good duration in training, our boxers will have a chance to showcase their skills and the technical bench will assess them accordingly," Musa said.
Musa is further impressed by the boxers' fitness levels after a rigorous strength and conditioning workout.
"Remember the boxers haven't been to the ring since returning from the continental Olympic qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal. It's long since we trained in this kind of environment," he said.
Ahead of the Final World Boxing Qualifiers, the team will get a chance to pit their wits against other boxers at the Mabingwa wa Mabingwa Tournament in Tanzania.
So far, only Nick Okoth and Christine Ongare have earned tickets to the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Olympics courtesy of wins at the African Qualification Tournament in Dakar.
The two were among 33 pugilists from the continent who qualified for the event.
"We would want to have more team members secure Tokyo Olympic 2020 tickets in the world qualifiers," Musa said.
In the new dates, Phase 2 of the European qualifying round will be held on April-May, 2021 whereas the Americas round will take place in May 2021.
Sixteen male boxers, flyweights and featherweights had secured their tickets to Tokyo before the shutdown.
Last year, the International Olympic Committee’s Boxing Task Force (BTF) assumed control of the five continental qualification tournaments in the run up to the Games.
