The Kenya national boxing team, Hit Squad, will launch a vicious campaign for Olympic slots in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday.
The 2023 African Games light heavyweight champion Edwin Okong'o reckons he possesses the mojo to replicate his magnum opus performance in Bangkok on his way to the Paris Games.
Okong'o will dare Mali's Mohamadou Gori in the highly anticipated preliminary bout of the light heavyweight division. "I don't expect to find it easy in the ring because all the boxers are world-class fighters," Okongo remarked.
"Still, I'm confident of registering a good performance. My goal is to seal a slot to Paris. We've trained well enough and I hope to use the lessons from Senegal and Italy to propel myself forward," he added.
Okong'o is among six Kenyan pugilists who arrived in Thailand on Wednesday to contest for the slots in the second World Olympic qualifiers.
The Kenya Air Force sergeant is the proud owner of a gold medal he clinched at the 2023 African Games in Accra, Ghana.
Okong'o garnished his cabinet with the coveted gold after schooling Morocco’s Yassine Elouarz in the ring during the enthralling finale at the Bukom Boxing Arena.
The gallant soldier cruised to victory on the back of a resounding 3-1 score in the men’s middleweight 75kg category.
It will be Kenya's final chance to secure the elusive tickets following previous failed attempts at the September Africa Olympic Qualifiers in Dakar Senegal and the first World Qualifiers in Italy in March.
Hit Squad captain Boniface Mugunde leads the nation's onslaught in the men's light-middleweight category against Ireland's Walsh Iden.
Africa middleweight silver medallist Elizabeth Andiego will face Irina Nicole of Germany as Amina Martha settles scores with Scarlet Delgado of Canada in the women's bantamweight.
Frieza Anyango has a herculean task against Emille Sanvico of France in the welterweight division.
Peter Abuti got a bye to the next round and will now face the winner of the bout pitying a Polish boxer against his Australian opponent.
Hit squad assistant captain Elizabeth Andiego came close to punching her ticket to the Games after romping into the finals of the Boxing Africa Qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal.
However, she lost to her perennial nemesis and world champion Khadija Mardi of Morocco.
