Hit Squad heavyweight boxer Peter Abuti has pledged to justify his inclusion in the team.
While thanking head coach Benjamin Musa for handing him his maiden call-up earlier in the month, Abuti said he had sharpened his talons adequately to educate his opponents in the ring.
He hopes to make the contingent that will grace the IBA World Boxing Championships that begins later in the month.
The premier global boxing bonanza will roar into life in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from April 30 to May 14.
Pugilists from all five continents will compete for medals in 13 weight categories approved by the IBA in July 2021.
“I’m excited to have finally made the national team. This is a good opportunity for me to prove what I can do on the international stage,” Abuti said.
“I hope to travel with the team for the World Boxing Championships at the end of the month,” he added.
The boxer made the remarks after punching furiously on the bag at the team’s non-residential training camp at the Mathare depot in Nairobi.
The bulky pugilist who plies trade for Kenya Prisons on the local front showered praises on Hit Squad’s technical bench, pointing out that interacting with them had pushed his skills a notch higher.
“I have learned quite a lot after joining the national team training camp. We have some good coaches who are doing a lot to polish our skills in camp.”
Despite suffering a minor setback in his dream to make an international debut following the postponement of the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships, Abuti is still optimistic about flying the country’s flag at the competition later in the year.
“I’m still looking forward to the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships that will now be held in Tanzania in August. We were adequately prepared for the competition but unfortunately, the organisers changed the dates.”
The yearly regional showcase was originally scheduled to take place this week in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania.
Kenya, Somalia, Cameroon, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Equatorial Guinea had already committed to wrestling for honors at the event along with the host nation.
Tanzania Boxing Federation communicated the decision, stating that they were unable to host the tournament due to a busy schedule and some financial issues.
