Featherweight Nicholas Okoth and middleweight Elizabeth Akinyi are the highest-seeded Kenyan boxers in the latest rankings released by International Olympic Committee's Boxing Task Force.
The rankings could be used to pick boxers who will proceed directly to Japan for the Tokyo Olympic Games if further world qualifiers are not held.
Already, the world repechage qualifiers in France have been ruled out after IOC said they were pressed for time to hold the event, initially scheduled for June, exactly a month before the Olympics.
The European qualifiers have now been slated for this date after they were postponed following the outbreak of Covid-19.
Okoth is seeded fourth in the men’s 57 kg category with 350 points, behind Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov (Uzbekistan), Evaristo Mulenga (Zambia) and Lázaro Álvarez (Cuba) who have 850, 475 and 470 points respectively.
Akinyi is currently placed 10th in the women’s 69kg category with 200 points behind Gu Hong (China-630 points), Nien-Chin Chen (Taipei-590), Oumayma Bel Ahbib (Morocco-535), Lovlina Borgohain (India-450), Acinda Helena Panguana (Mozambique-420), Busenaz Sürmeneli (Turkey-300), Karolina Koszewska (Poland 240), Oshae Jones (USA-240), Yang Liu (China-240) and Angela Carini (Italy-200).
Shaffi Bakari is placed a distant 36th in the men’s 52kg category where Amit of India sits pretty at the top with 620 points followed by Algeria's Mohamed Flissi and Hu Jianguan of China — level on 520 points.
Kenya have no representation in the men’s 63 kg category where Andy Cruz Gomez of Cuba leads with 550 points followed closely by Uzbekistan's Elnur Abduraimov with 475 points and Jonas Junias Jonas of Namibia with 475.
In the men's 69 kg, Kenya's Boniface Maina is ranked 33rd after amassing a paltry 75 points behind Zeyad Eashash of Jordan, Bobo-Usmon Baturov of Uzbekistan and Albert Mengue Ayissi from Cameroon who have gathered 560, 500 and 430 in that order.
Rayton Okwiri is placed 34th in the 75 kg category, sitting behind Eumir Marcial (Philippines) with 640 points, Younes Nemouchi (Algeria) with 445 points, snd Abilkhan Amankul (Kazakhstan) with 380.
Elly Ajowi is the second best seeded Kenyan male boxer at position 10 in the men’s 91 kg category.Vassiliy Levit of Kazakhstan leads this category with 675, followed by David Nyika of New Zealand (540 points) and Youness Baalla of Mauritius with 500 points.
Fredrick Ramogi of Kenya is placed 29th in the 91 kg category with 75 points, far much behind Bakhodir Jalolov (Uzbekistan) 880 points, Kamshybek Kunkabayev (Kazakhstan) 620 points and Justis Huni (Australia) 450 points.
Tokyo-bound Christine Ongare is the other female boxer enjoying a decent position in her 51 kg category where she is placed 12th behind Chang Yuan of China with 505 points, Huang Hsiao-Wen of Taipei with 500 and Rabab Cheddar of Mauritius, who has 467.5 points.
