The newly appointed national youth team coach Nick 'Commander' Okoth has expressed confidence in the squad he is sharpening for the World Championship in Spain next month.
Okoth said after training hard at the Mathare Depot for the past two weeks, his charges have gained the edge to face the world, adding he expects to harvest medals in Spain.
“They are doing well. They just require a little bit of polishing. I think they need the most endurance. They get tired so fast.”
However, he raised concerns about some basic issues that should be addressed by the coaches on the ground.
“Some of them still need to refine their skills but that's something we cannot do much about because of the small amount of time we have left on our hands. At the moment, our main focus is our upcoming trip to Spain.
“I've taken some vital notes on the areas that need improvement and I intend to share the notes with their coaches in the coming days given they come from different clubs.”
Okoth also said he will have to expose the young boxers to more high-intensity sessions to pump more gas into their lungs.
“I've been taking them through some jogging sessions in the last few days, urging them to punch above their weight in training. It's the only way they can succeed in boxing.”
He said the young people have found it easy to get along with him because they see him as a fellow boxer.
“They are excited to see me around. It gives them a sense of encouragement because most of them are aware of the many battles I've fought for the country,” he said. Okoth was included in the team of coaches after announcing his retirement last month.
The 39-year-old sergeant at the Kenya Defence Forces exited the competitive stage after flying the country's flag at the Africa Boxing Championship in Maputo, Mozambique, where he marked his final journey in the ring.
He has been overseeing preparations for 13 boxers who were selected to fly the country's flag in the youth championship following three days of trial training at the Jericho Social Hall in Nairobi in September.
A team of 10 boys and three girls will represent the country in La Nucía from November 14-26.
They were selected by head coach Benjamin Musa and his deputy David Munuhe who ran a highly competitive selection process that brought together boxers from Nairobi, Laikipia, Prisons, G44 Boxing Club, Dallas Boxing Club, Police, Siaya, Kibra Boxing Club, Kajiado, and Kisumu.
