Kenya’s middleweight contender Edwin Okong’o has promised a ruthless charge when the 2025 IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships begin at the iconic Dubai Tennis Stadium from December 2-13.
The 5′ 9″ southpaw, one of the country’s most technically potent amateurs, said he intends to “fight with purpose and precision” as he leads a 13-man Hit Squad into one of the richest tournaments in amateur boxing history.
Okong’o is part of the final roster unveiled by Hit Squad head coach Benjamin Musa two weeks ago, a squad blending experienced operators with rookies stepping onto the global stage for the first time.
The seasoned Kenya Defence Forces soldier will be arriving in Dubai with a legitimate pedigree. In March 2024, he snapped Kenya’s 17-year gold-medal drought in the sport at the African Games in Accra, Ghana, capturing the men’s 75kg middleweight crown with a split-decision win over Morocco’s Yassine Elouarz.
It was the kind of performance that puts a continent on notice. For Okong’o, the World Championships represent a higher mountain—and a necessary one.
“This stage demands everything,” he said earlier this week. “You don’t come here to admire lights. You come here to prove you belong among the best.”
The Dubai edition of the championships will be the richest in amateur history, carrying a staggering US$8.32 million prize pool. More than 95 national federations are expected to participate, turning the Emirate into a three-week battleground of styles, nations, and ambitions.
Head coach Benjamin Musa, seasoned and unsentimental, has no illusions about the scale of the assignment. “Dubai is a reality check. It’s tough, but it makes fighters better,” Musa said. “This stage isn’t forgiving. It exposes you. But for those ready to learn and prepared to bite down, the rewards—technical and financial—are immense.
For boxers like Okong’o, the proximity to high-stakes professional combat serves as both inspiration and reminder: the road from amateur brilliance to professional legacy begins with nights like these.
For the Hit Squad, Dubai is not merely a tournament—it is a measure of progress. Kenya’s amateur system has produced standout talents over the decades, but competing with the financial muscle and technical resources of nations like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Cuba, and the United States remains a perennial challenge.
Okong’o, however, has repeatedly insisted that pedigree is not destiny. “I’ve stood against fighters who were supposed to be unbeatable,” he said. “Styles make fights. Preparation wins them.”
His March triumph in Accra backs up that belief. Okong’o boxed with economy, composure, and a maturity belying his age, mixing tight guards with sharp counters and intelligent ring control.
Dubai will demand more. It will demand composure under pressure, precision against world-class movers, and conditioning built for warfare. Okong’o knows this. So does Musa.For Okong’o, who has already drawn interest after the African Games, a breakthrough here could reshape his career trajectory. As Dubai prepares for the world’s elite, Okong’o stands on the cusp of his biggest test yet. The stage is grander. The scrutiny is sharper. The stakes are unprecedented.
But the Kenyan middleweight carries the assurance of a fighter who has known pressure and learned to bend it to his will. He does not talk recklessly. He talks like a man who knows what it took to end a 17-year drought—and what it will take to chase history again. The opening ceremony on December 2 is expected to be a spectacle rarely seen in amateur competition. A host of international stars—from boxing, music, and entertainment—have been confirmed.
The centrepiece is a bespoke performance by Roy Jones Jr, the legendary four-weight world champion whose blend of swagger, rhythm, and violence remains one of the most studied styles in boxing lore.
Jones Jr will deliver a routine crafted specifically to commemorate the championships, a symbolic passing of the torch from past greats to the next generation of global contenders. Beyond the amateur battles, Dubai will host one of the year’s most intriguing heavyweight contests. On the penultimate night, Russia’s Murat Gassiev will challenge Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev for the WBA World Heavyweight Championship, bringing a professional world title fight into the heart of an amateur festival.
Gassiev, the heavy-handed former unified cruiserweight champion, brings a knockout threat. Pulev, the seasoned Bulgarian, carries a veteran’s resilience and big-fight temperament. Their presence underscores the IBA’s drive to blend elite amateur theatre with premium professional action.
