Hit Squad captain Boniface “The Hummer” Mugunde/HANDOUTHit Squad captain Boniface “The Hummer” Mugunde delivered a thunderous right hook that sent Uganda’s Kanabi Alex crashing to the canvas — a knockout so swift, so devastating, that the referee’s count was little more than ceremony.
“I told my coaches before the bout — this one won’t go past the first round,” Mugunde said afterwards. “He’s a strong fighter, but strength without timing means nothing.”
Mugunde’s perfectly timed punch caught Kanabi as he dropped his guard. “That split second was all I needed,” he said. “The punch landed flush — I could feel it travel through my arm. I knew it was over.”
Fans erupted as the referee waved it off seconds before the bell. Mugunde raised his gloves — not in arrogance, but in affirmation.
“When you wear that Kenyan crest, you carry millions with you,” he said. “Every punch I throw is for the people back home — for every young boxer dreaming in Mathare, Kibra, and Mombasa. This win belongs to them.”
Now, into the final, Mugunde promised more. “I’m not done yet,” he said with a grin. “The finals will be my masterpiece.”
In the women’s bantamweight semi-final, Amina Martha fought back from a rough first round to beat Ethiopia’s Roman Asefa 3–2 in a split decision. “She caught me off guard with a body shot that rattled me,” Martha said. “But I told myself — no Kenyan gives up.”
By the second round, she found her rhythm, using clean combinations and head movement to edge ahead. “I focused on her shoulder movements,” she said. “That’s how I read her punches.”
After the final bell, Martha dropped to her knees in relief. “It’s not just my fight — it’s for every Kenyan woman breaking barriers in sport,” she said. “I’m going for gold.”
Cynthia Mwai delivered a flawless 5–0 win over Uganda’s Namutebi Erina in the women’s light welterweight semi-final, putting on a display of footwork and precision.
“Boxing is like chess — you win by thinking faster,” Mwai said. “She was taller, but I kept closing the gap, broke her rhythm, and the fight was mine.”
In the men’s featherweight division, Mwinyi Kombo dismantled Ethiopia’s Fitwi Tumayi 5–0, staying composed and tactical. “You don’t have to swing wild — just land the cleaner punches,” he said. “Coach told me to read his jab — and I did.”
He now faces Uganda’s Kasim Murungi in a much-anticipated rematch. “This time, I’ll finish him,” Kombo said.
Head coach Benjamin Musa praised the team’s unity and hunger. “They’re disciplined and driven,” he said. “Boniface leads with both fists and heart. He’s our engine.”
As chants of “Hit Squad! Hit Squad!” echoed through Kasarani, it was clear: Kenya isn’t just winning — it’s rising. “We’re no longer chasing medals,” Musa said. “We’re chasing legacy.”
