Kenyan players now shift focus to Africa championships in Cameroon

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Having improved their performance in the World Boxing Championships, Kenyan boxers are now focused on posting a better show during the Africa Boxing Championships in Younde, Cameroon, next month.

For the first time in three decades, Kenyan boxers reached pre-quarterfinals of the global championships, when three boxers won their first and second round matches.

The trio was captain and light middleweight Boniface Mogunde, Africa Zone Three flyweight champion David Karanja and national cruiserweight champion Hezron Maganga.

Mogunde defeated Hield Carl Leviticus on unanimous points decision in the round of 64, but lost in the round of 32, while Karanja and Maganga lost in the last 16.

Karanja was stopped by the experienced 2021 World Boxing Championships bantamweight (54kg) gold medallist Tomoya Tsuboi of Japan in a pre-quarterfinal bout, while Maganga lost to Russian Sharabutdin Ataev on unanimous points' decision.

"This performance has given us the impetus and morale to focus on the next tournament," said former Commonwealth Games flyweight bronze medallist Christine Ongare.

Light welterweight Victor Odhiambo was also buoyant, saying he's ready to offer stiff challenge to the national champion Joseph Shigali of Kenya Police.