• A contingent of 13 Kenyan boxers signed up for a non-residential training camp on Friday at the Mathare Depot to hone their skills ahead of departure.
• Hit Squad assistant coach Dave Munuhe said he anticipates a successful trip, adding that most of the boxers are in incredible shape.
Image: FILE
Light heavyweight Elizabeth Andiego, silver medalist at the Africa Boxing Championships, tops the list of female Kenyan boxers sharpening their skills for the IBA World Championships.
The women’s premier annual global show takes centre stage in Delhi, India from March 14-24.
A contingent of 13 Kenyan boxers signed up for a non-residential training camp on Friday at the Mathare Depot to hone their skills ahead of departure.
Andiego, 36, is prepared to help the nation outperform last year’s results when all of the boxers were eliminated in the first round.
“I’ll be competing in the championships for the fourth time, and since I’m currently ranked ninth, I hope to rise in the standings. Better yet, I want to come back with a medal,” Andiego said.
“The boxers’ morale is high and training is progressing well so far. By the time we arrive in Delhi for the competition, I think everything will be in order because we are working on our reflexes and sharpness for game situations.”
Hit Squad assistant coach Dave Munuhe said he anticipates a successful trip, adding that most of the boxers are in incredible shape.
“We are already honing our act in camp in preparation for our trip to India for the World Championships next month. Our goal is to win the medals that have eluded us in previous competitions,” remarked Munuhe.
“There are 13 women in camp; hopefully, they will all join the traveling party,” Munuhe said.
In the previous competition, held in Istanbul, Turkey, Kenya put on a terrible performance to return home empty handed.
Kenya remain medal-less since the competition’s inception in 2001.
Hit Squad assistant captain Andiego will aim to improve upon her performance from Istanbul, where she lost to Elif Guner of Turkey on points.
She was the final Kenyan eliminated from the competition, which took place in May at the Başakşehir Youth and Sports Facility.
Along with Andiego, other Kenyan competitors incorporated in the squad include Africa Zone 3 silver medallist Christine Ongare, who crashed to Okhota Hanna of Ukraine in the preliminaries of the previous edition.
Also making the team is Stacy Ayuma, who was defeated by Joceylin Tshamala of the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year.
Amina Martha will hope to rebound in New Delhi after crashing to Poland’s Wiktoria Rogalinska in the preliminary round of their bantamweight match last year.
Evelyn Akinyi also aims to advance in her quest for the title after being felled in the preliminaries of the last tournament by Moreira Ivanus.
Lorna Kusa, a light middleweight who lost to Kazakhstan’s Khalzova Valentine in the round of 32 last year, is also anticipating a better performance. Also, gunning for a title is flyweight Ann Wanjiru, who was stopped by Tetyana Kob of Ukraine, in her previous attempt.
Full squad: Elizabeth Andiego (light heavyweight), Christine Ongare (minimum weight), Lancer Akinyi (light fly), Ann Wanjiru (light fly), Veronica Mbithe (fly), Emily Juma (fly), Amina Martha (bantamweight), Alice Waiyego (bantamweight), Pauline Chege (feather), Stacy Ayoma (lightweight), Teresia Wanjiru (light welterweight), Friza Anyango (welterweight), Evaline Akinyi, (welterweight), Lorna Kusa light-middleweight), and Elizabeth Akinyi (middleweight).