Hit Squad head coach Benjamin Musa is convinced his charges can leverage their immense experience to secure the elusive Paris 2024 Olympics entry credentials.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Tuesday, Musa said an ensemble of 18 pugilists are furiously punching the bag at the Mathare Depot in Nairobi to toughen up their muscles for the second World Olympic qualifiers in Thailand later in the month.
The tournament will offer the boxers a final opportunity to secure the coveted tickets after they returned empty-handed from the September Africa Olympic qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal, as well as the first World Olympic qualifiers staged in Italy two months ago.
"We assembled a team of 18 boxers who proved their mettle during the Kenya Open Championships and we asked them to report to camp immediately after the tournament," Musa remarked.
"We intend to deploy boxers in all the 12 weight categories that will be contested in the tournament but the final number will depend on the availability of funds," he added.
Musa threw down the gauntlet to senior members of the national boxing team to spearhead the ferocious battle for Olympic berths.
He singled out assistant captain Elizabeth Andiego for praise, saying her magnum opus performance that clinched her the gold at the invitational Mandela Cup in South Africa last month attests to her prowess on the international stage.
"Andiego performed exceptionally well in South Africa and the victory has boosted her morale ahead of the qualifiers in Thailand. She now believes in her aptitude more than ever before," Musa remarked.
"We have high hopes in her capacity to clinch a ticket to the Olympics. She has already proven herself on several occasions and I trust in her proficiency," he added.
The 2022 Africa Boxing Championships silver medalist lit up the Durban International Convention Centre with a resplendent performance that saw her register an emphatic 4-1 victory over Mozambican Rady Gramane in the finals. Andiego, 37, vowed to fight tooth and nail for an Olympic slot.
"I'm happy I won a gold medal for Kenya. The win means a lot to me considering I'm preparing for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers in Thailand. My confidence has received a major boost," Andiego remarked.
"I believe the country still stands a high chance of securing Olympic slots after two failed attempts in Dakar and Italy," she added.
Andiego flew the nation's flag in South Africa alongside national welterweight champion Friza Anyango who crashed out to Gomes Moreira Ivanusa of Cape Verde in the quarterfinals on the opening day of the competition.
