Will KDF boxer Ramogi fit in Ajowi's shoes in Hit Squad?

Super heavyweight boxer Fred Ramogi. He is part of the national team that are fighting for tickets to Paris Olympics. [Courtesy]

As the national boxing team heads to Dakar, Senegal over the weekend for the Africa Olympic Qualifiers, the team is expected to have more boxers qualify for Paris Olympics next year.

Olympic qualification is tough and a rigorous process, which requires adequate preparation.

And with the participation of the team in the Africa Boxing Championships ahead of the continental qualifiers and World Qualifiers, it must have prepared the boxers for the showpiece.

Kenya is sending a team of seven male and five female boxers to the African qualifiers set for September 9-15.

They include captain and Africa Zone Three heavyweight gold medallist Elizabeth Andiego, the zonal flyweight gold medallist David Karanja, featherweight Ethan Maina, deputy captain and light middleweight Boniface Mogunde, light heavyweight Robert Okaka and heavyweight Peter Abuti and super heavyweight Fred Ramogi.

Female boxers are former Commonwealth Games flyweight bronze medallist Christine Ongare, bantamweight Amina Martha, welterweight Friza Anyango, featherweight Pauline Chege and lightweight Teresia Wanjiru.

Most of these boxers took part in Africa Boxing Championships, the 2020 Africa Olympic Qualifiers and the recent World Boxing Championships.

Some of them won medals in the first two competitions save for the global championships.

Although boxers in the squad are relatively experienced, they cannot reach the level of former Africa Boxing Championships lightweight gold medallist Nick 'Commander' Okoth and Olympian and Africa Zone Three super heavyweight gold medallist Elly Ajowi.

Okoth and Ajowi featured in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics alongside Andiego (Elizabeth) who is the most experienced boxer in the current squad heading to Dakar. Okoth and Ajowi have retired.

And Ajowi participated in a weight that attracts interests and great following and this time, it's the turn of Red Ramogi in the super heavyweight (over 92kg)!

For the past four years, Ajowi has carried Kenya's hopes in that weight in all international assignments and never disappointed save for the global championships.

Ajowi retired last month paving way for his longtime arch-rival Ramogi who boxes for Kenya Defence Forces.

It however remains to be see if Ramogi will fit in Ajowi's shoes.

The fight between the duo in the league championships made the super heavyweight contests entertaining and competitive.

For over a decade, the super heavyweight slot has been exchanging hands between the two boxers until four years ago when Ajowi proved too strong for Ramogi and never looked back until his retirement.

"After serving the national team for 15 years in different capacities, it's time to handover to upcoming players to see if they can improve on whatever we never achieved in my career," Ajowi told Standard Sports.

Before his retirement, Ajowi defeated the then Africa super heavyweight champion Maxime Njiayo Yegnon of Cameroon.

He said Ramogi has the physical power and needs to be confident.

Ramogi said taking part in the Africa Boxing Championships was a learning process that has shaped him before Africa Olympic Qualifiers.

"Taking part in the continental championships was a lesson to me that has pointed out my strengths and weaknesses. It's time to correct on my mistakes ahead of the qualifiers.

"My weak points at the Africa Boxing Championships were at the guard and jab but the coaches are working on that," he said.