Hit Squad captain Boniface Mugunde has vowed to punch furiously on the bag in a frantic bid to secure a spot at next year’s Paris Olympic Games.
Mugunde said he will leverage on the two upcoming qualifiers in Thailand and Italy to seal a slot after failing to do so during the Africa Olympic Qualifiers held in Dakar, Senegal in September.
The pugilist who plies his trade for Kenya Police spoke after storming the title during the second leg of the Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) National League in Siaya last weekend.
“The urge to participate in the Olympics is still there. I am looking forward to a good performance in the upcoming qualifiers and, hopefully, I will be able to seal a slot, either in Thailand or in Italy,” he said.
Mugunde, light middleweight, hailed the traction gained in the local boxing terrain, saying it portends well for the future of the sport in the country.
He observed that the big number of pugilists who graced the Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) National League in Siaya attests to the huge interest that boxing has generated in the country.
“We saw many new faces who displayed brilliant skills. They gave the seasoned boxers a great challenge and this is a clear indication that we are making huge advancements in boxing as a country,” Mugunde remarked.
“This will go a long way in pushing the country to unprecedented heights in the sport,” he added.
Mugunde said fewer contestants in past competitions made the seasoned boxers rest on their laurels and warned them of being toppled if they continued to remain in their comfort zone.
“Such competition is healthy for the growth of the sport in the country. The more boxers we have, the better it is for us. With cutthroat competition, the performance of our national team will hit unprecedented heights,” he observed.
In Siaya, Kenya Defence Forces’ team — Defaba — emerged as the overall winners with 26 points, one better than defending champions Kenya Police.
Nairobi county Boxing Team wrapped up the top three with 10 points, followed by Kibra — who managed five.
Vihiga county, Siaya county, and Kisumu county finished in joint fifth place with three points each whereas Nakuru county, TransNzoia county, and Team Kentrack were joint sixth with two points each.
Homabay county and Busia county secured a single point each to finish joint seventh as Team Githurai 44 wrapped up the competition without a single point.
