The national boxing team that featured at the African Olympic qualifiers in Yaounde, Cameroon last month are confident of landing more Rio Olympics slots during the World Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in June.
Coach John Wawer said Boxing Association of Kenya has selected the same boxers who took part in the continental qualifiers for the Azerbaijan Championships because of their consistency, exposure and experience.
“This team has been in camp together for a very long time and they have been consistent. Besides that they are experienced,” Waweru told Feverpitch.
Out of a full team of ten male and three female boxers, only welterweight boxer Rayton Okwiri qualified for the Rio Olympics in Brazil this August after he defeated Mohammed Azuma of Ghana 3-0 in the finals.
Yesterday, Waweru said he was sure more boxers would qualify for the Olympics after the global championships.
READ MORE
Diallo strikes again as Ivory Coast and Cameroon share spoils in AFCON classic
Cameroon edge Gabon 1-0 as Eyong strike settles tight AFCON clash
Cameroonian opposition figure Anicet Ekane dies in detention
Melody as remedy: How music festival is easing conflict pains in Cameroon
“We are sure of landing at least three more boxers into the Rio Olympics after the global championships,” said Waweru.
Gicharu (Benson), who fell in the preliminaries at the continental qualifiers in Cameroon also indicated his intentions to make it to the Olympics having been there in 2012 in London.
“We are confident of doing better in Azerbaijan with adequate training after the global championships,” he said.
The boxers are expected to use the first leg of the National Boxing League that boxes-off in Mombasa from tomorrow. Eleven teams will participate.
They are defending champions Kenya Police, KDF, Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya Prisons, Nakuru ABC, Nyanza Combined, Coast Combined, Nairobi Metropolitan, Ndenderu, Ahmed Kassongo Sports Academy, Thika ABC and Kibra.
