To cap off his glittering career, veteran Hit Squad boxer Elly Ajowi has shelved plans to hang his gloves until next year.
Ajowi has been on the roll in the National Boxing League, winning each of the four legs he has fought so far.
His splendid form has given him all the more reason to hold on as he makes a last-ditch effort to wrap up his dominant display on the battlefield with another title.
"For sure, I will not retire this year but probably next August. I still feel strong enough to fight for several titles before I leave the ring," Ajowi said on Monday.
Ajowi suffered a double blow this year that could have easily dampened his spirits. After being stripped of his title as Africa Zone III heavyweight champion, he was also excluded from the squad that flew the country's flag at Birmingham in 2022.
However, the burly lethal puncher insists he is not ready to let the setback crash his resolve.
"Losing is part of the game. I can't spend time lamenting about lost opportunities. There are other competitions ahead that I have shifted my focus on," Ajowi said.
Ajowi says his vintage performance on the national stage does not indicate that he lacks cutthroat competition in the heavyweight division.
“We have some really good boxers who have the potential to step comfortably into my shoes when I retire. They have been giving me a run for my money in the bouts I've fought thus far, ” Ajowi said.
The veteran Kenyan pugilist reckons the appointment of the new Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has ushered in a more promising beginning.
"He seems to me like a person who can change the game of boxing in our country. I hope, we will achieve a lot more under his leadership," Ajowi said.
Even as he continues to punch furiously at the bag, Ajowi says he has set his sights on becoming a coach once he retires from the ring.
The 38-year-old National Police Service corporal had previously expressed a desire to quit the ring after the Commonwealth Games.
“I intend to retire immediately after the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July. I believe I have already achieved quite a lot and it's a high time I created some room in the ring for budding boxers,” Ajowi was quoted as saying.
The soft-spoken pugilist says he hopes to mentor the youth of Dandora where his humble beginnings can be traced.
“I'd like to help develop youths from Dandora where my career began upon retirement,” said Ajowi.
“I'm training my sights on taking up a coaching role once I hang up my gloves. I'm yet to train as a coach but that is part of my immediate plans. I didn't get an opportunity to join the group that trained for AIBA 1 certification course in Nairobi.”
“However, BFK has plans to roll out a follow-up program shortly and I hope to take part in it,” added Ajowi.
