Hit Squad head coach, Benjamin Musa, says he is confident of raising a lethal force from the battalion of pugilists who will grace the second edition of Jamal Cup on December 8 in Kisumu.
Musa said he was utterly amazed by the quality that rose to the surface during the first edition of the national trials that concluded at Charter Hall in Nairobi a week ago.
“We have a lot of the talent in the country that can perform exceptionally well given the right exposure and a conducive environment,” said Musa.
He urged budding boxers to emerge from their cocoons and gauge their prowess at the tournament which will come alive in the lakeside region next week.
“Many upcoming boxers had expressed a burning desire to join the national team and they now have a glorious opportunity to showcase their talent against Kenya's best,” said Musa.
However, Musa reiterated the need to ensure those selected to fly the country's flag in the future are accorded the necessary global exposure to keep them in tandem with the dynamism and the competitiveness of the sport.
“Talent alone is not an end to medals and honours unless the boxers get the right kind of training before the competition. We hope to secure the necessary funding in the future that will offer our pugilists a chance to reverse the globe and rub shoulders with the finest boxers in the world before major showdowns” said Musa.
The tactician, who oversaw Hit Squad's unsuccessful medal hunts at the Tokyo Games in Japan as well as the World Boxing Championships in Serbia, welcomed the idea to rollout a junior championship program saying it would serve as a fertile ground for emerging talent.
“Most of the boxers who usually end up in the Hit Squad kicked off their careers late in the day. It's important to start nurturing talent in early childhood, as a witness in other areas such as football.
However, initial plans to roll out a maiden junior event ran into teething problems after the Boxing Federation of Kenya postponed the inaugural Junior Championships to April 2022.
In a communique published on its social media platforms last Friday, BFK regretted the decision to procrastinate the event which had earlier been scheduled for late November.
BFK said it would be difficult under the existing circumstances to unveil the event, given the congested school calendar.
“With the revised school calendar, it will be impossible to guarantee maximum participation of schoolboys and girls, juniors and youths in their Championship that was scheduled for November 30 to December 4,” said BFK.
