• I will be unveiling the squad this week-Musa.
• Musa, however, ruled out the possibility of having new faces in the team.
Image: /FILE
National boxing team, Hit Squad, have reported to camp ahead of the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships that begins in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania next week.
Head coach Benjamin Musa said they are keen to send fighters to the regional championships even as he prepares to release his traveling party this week for the event set for Benjamin Mkapa Stadium starting on April 11.
"We are doing all we can to ensure we are not locked out of the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships," Musa said. "We already have boxers training at the Mathare Depot in Nairobi, but the program officially begins on Monday. I will be unveiling the squad this week."
Musa, however, ruled out the possibility of having new faces in the team, saying he will be summoning the same boxers who featured in the most recent international events.
His remarks come a couple of days after the Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK), said it had postponed the Kenya Open Boxing Championships originally scheduled for next month.
The local governing body arrived at the decision after realising that the dates set aside for the competition coincided with those earmarked for the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships.
"We shall use the team that we have since we don't have enough time to do the selection. We had hoped to use the Kenya Open to identify boxers but the tournament has been postponed for reasons that are already known to the public."
"We'll make sure we select boxers who have the potential to improve on our performances in the two preceding championships held in Kinshasa, Congo in 2021 and 2022," Musa said.
A vintage performance last year saw the 22-member Kenyan contingent return with 18 medals, including six gold, five silver and seven bronze.
It was a marked improvement from the 2021 edition where only heavyweight pugilist Elly Ajowi capped off his career with a coveted gold as Kenya's Hit Squad secured 13 medals — a gold, five silver and seven bronze medals.
Three female pugilists Elizabeth Andiego (light heavy), Everlyne Akinyi (welterweight), and Teresia Wanjiru (light welterweight) pulverised their opponents on their way to the podium.
David Karanja (fly), Samuel Njau (feather) and Shaffi Bakari Hassan (bantam) also medaled.
The female boxers are eager to redeem themselves in Tanzania after a dismal performance at the just concluded IBA World Boxing Championships in India.
During the premier global warming championships, only one Kenyan pugilist, Andiego, advanced past the preliminaries, albeit on the strength of a bye.
The secretary general of the 14-member Africa Zone 3, Lukelo Willilo, said six countries — Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Cameroon, DRC, Burundi and Equatorial Guinea have confirmed participation.