Boniface Mogunde against Merven Clair of Mauritius in a light middleweight bout during the Africa Boxing Championship in Yaounde, Cameroon/ FILE
Hit Squad captain Boniface Mogunde is confident Kenya's four-member boxing team has what it takes to punch above their weight and return from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, with a healthy medal haul.
Boxing action at the Games gets underway on Friday with matches across several divisions: the women's bantamweight (54kg) round of 16, women's featherweight (57kg) round of 32, men's bantamweight (55kg) round of 32, men's welterweight (65kg) round of 64, and men's light-middleweight (70kg) round of 32.
Kenya's charge will be led by skipper Mogunde alongside Robert Okaka, Amina Martha, and Rosemarion Achieng'. Mogunde will step into the ring in the light-middleweight division, Martha will compete in the bantamweight, Achieng' will feature in the lightweight, and Okaka will battle in the light-heavyweight category.
Mogunde, a 2019 African Games bronze medalist, is making his Commonwealth Games debut, and the seasoned campaigner is eager to capitalise on one of the sport's biggest stages.
The 34-year-old power puncher is determined to cap his maiden appearance with a place on the podium.
"This will be my first Commonwealth Games," said Mogunde. "I have so much hope that we are coming back with medals. Not only in my individual event but as a team."
He believes a Commonwealth medal will help embellish his trophy cabinet, alongside his continental accolades.
"The highlight moment in my career was the All-African Games in Morocco. I finished third, but it was a very big achievement for me," he stated.
At the 2019 continental showpiece in Rabat, Mogunde clinched bronze in the men's welterweight (69kg) division, behind gold medalist Merven Clair of Mauritius and Abdulafeez Osoba of Nigeria.
His impressive résumé also includes gold from last year's Africa Zone Three Championships, silver from the 2021 edition, bronze at the 2022 African Confederation Championships, and the 2024 African Elite Boxing Championships light-middleweight title.
Mogunde believes a strong performance in Glasgow could serve as the perfect launchpad toward achieving his ultimate dream of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
"My prayer is to make the Olympic Games," he shared.
Meanwhile, Hit Squad head coach Benjamin Musa admitted that selecting Kenya's four representatives was a major challenge due to limited allocation.
"Out of 14 possible slots, we got four, so it was difficult to settle on the four boxers to represent us," Musa explained.
Despite the tight selection constraint, Musa remains confident that the squad—which balances seasoned experience with promising debutants—has the quality to make Kenya proud.
"It is a team that mixes experience and debutants. I know they will represent us well," he noted.
