Hit Squad deputy captain Elizabeth Andiego inched closer to punching her ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after storming the semifinals of the African qualifiers on Wednesday.
The hard-hitting pugilist cruised to the penultimate stage after a resounding 5-0 unanimous decision win over Ghanaian Ornella Sathoud at the Dakar Arena Hall in Senegal
Andiego oozed confidence and vitality after her emphatic triumph in the middleweight bout, pledging to seal a berth at the quadrennial games that will be staged in the French capital from July next year.
She has now booked a semifinal date with 19-year-old Tunisian Molka Mabrouk.
The seasoned pugilist said she is eager to grace the premier global showpiece after missing out on the plane to the 2020 Tokyo Games.
“Of course, my sights are firmly trained on securing a slot in the forthcoming France 2024 Olympics. I am crossing my fingers for a superb performance in the semifinals on Thursday,” Andiego remarked.
“I’m confident of a good show. We have trained well so I’m hoping to make the country proud with a good performance. It’s the goal of every boxer to grace the Olympics. That’s my objective as well.”
Andiego has experienced a plain sailing season that was buoyed by a 10-day high-intensity training camp in Havana, Cuba.
She said she learnt vital lessons from her trip to the Central American nation that informs her sublime form in the qualifiers thus far.
“We got a lot of insights in Cuba which I believe have largely contributed to my good run in the qualifiers,” Andiego stated.
In a lightweight contest, the Kenyan corner had to hold high their towel to salvage Teresiah Wanjiru from the wrath of Commonwealth Games lightweight bronze medallist Cynthia Ogunsemilore of Nigeria.
A flurry of destructive punches from Ogunsemilore forced a count on Wanjiru, barely 20 seconds into the duel.
The referee decided to stop the fight moments later after Ogunsemilore’s punches proved once more overwhelming for the Kenyan.
Seemingly encouraged by that count, Ogunsemilore stepped up the pressure resulting in another eight count. The 21-year-old Nigerian southpaw will now dare Zambia’s Felistars Nkandu in the semis.
