2018 Commonwealth bronze medalist Christine Ongare says she is determined to go a notch higher and lay claim to either gold or silver at the forthcoming Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games slated for July.
Ongare, 28, made history as the first Kenyan woman to win a Commonwealth Games medal in boxing during the Gold Coast championship.
The seasoned boxer has been punching furiously on the bag with the rest of the Hit Squad members who were summoned for a residential training camp at Moi Stadium Kasarani three weeks ago.
And she believes she has now sharpened her talons enough to strut to the winner's podium in Birmingham.
“I thank God I'm in condition. We returned to camp after the IBA World Women's Boxing Championships in Istanbul Turkey to prepare for the Commonwealth Games.
“This is our third week in training and we have been involved in high-intensity sessions since we arrived,” Ongare said.
“I'm satisfied with the quality of training we are receiving from our coaches who are doing everything they can to help us capitalize on our strengths and minimize our weaknesses.”
Even though she returned to the country from Turkey empty-handed, Ongare reckons she has accumulated sufficient expertise to fire her to a momentous performance come July.
“I've been analyzing myself and judging by how I performed in Istanbul I can say I've gathered a lot of confidence along the way.
“I'm so certain if I had been as prepared for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games as I am today, I would have come back with a gold or a silver medal,” Ongare said.
Ongare was among the Kenyan quartet that flew the country's flag at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She holds on to the conviction that the wealth of experience she gleaned from the Games will definitely count in Birmingham.
She put up a spirited fight to clinch bronze in this year's edition of the Africa Zone 3 Championship in Kinshasa Congo in March.
A month later, she spearheaded Kenya's medal hunt at the World Women's Boxing Championships in Istanbul, Turkey in May. “I'm definitely looking forward to a good time in Birmingham.
Ongare says she feels more comfortable battling in the minimum weight category which has taken away all the adversities she encountered in the light flyweight division.
She says the switch is bound to boost her fortunes in the sport even as she eyes a vintage performance in Birmingham.
“To say the truth, I experienced a lot of challenges while battling in the flyweight division. It was hard squaring off with some boxers who switched from bantamweight given they were comparatively more muscular and a little bit stronger than me,” she said.
“I'm happy I'll be facing my equals from now on after switching to the minimum weight division,” she added.
The pugilist, who plies her trade for Kenya Police on the local front, traces her roots to the sprawling Korogocho slums where she sharpened her claws.
