Kenyan boxers going for nothing short than regional title at home

Nelson Mandela Cup middleweight gold medallist Elizabeth Andiego (in red) exchanges puches with two time African champion Rady Adosalinda Gramane in the finals of Nelson Mandela Cup at Durban Convention Centre in Durban on April 21, 2024.[FILE,Standard]

The overall title for the Africa Zone Three Championships will not leave Nairobi, Kenyan boxers have vowed.

As was in 1987, when Kenya hosted the All Africa Games in Nairobi and subsequently won the overall boxing title, the Kenyan boxers promised to follow suit at the regional championships set to be hosted in the country for the first time.

Team captain and the heavyweight defending champion Elizabeth Andiego said they have enough firepower to overturn tables on their opponents in all their respective weights in the fight for top honours.

“We have the energy for this event and the firepower for what’s needed to ensure we win the overall title after finishing runners-up in the last edition,” she told Standard Sports.

Democratic Republic of Congo clinched the last edition of the tournament in Kinshasa in 2023.

The super heavyweight silver medallist Cliffton Macharia said his focus this time round is to win a gold medal.

As his first international assignment at home this year, Macharia said there are no options in winning the title.

“As a silver medallist and with the home support, there are no two options in winning a gold medal, which should propel our ambition of winning the overall title,” he said.

Macharia said morale is high in their non-residential training ahead of next week's extravaganza to be staged at Kenyatta International Convention Centre.

The team has been training at Mathare Police Depot for the last four weeks.

Light flyweight Veronica Mbithe, who boxes for league champions Kenya Defence Forces and will be taking part in the regional championships for the first time, said she also hopes to win a gold medal.

“Although this will be my first time taking part in this event, that will not deny me the ability to win a gold medal at the end of it,” she said.

And Wiseman Kagondo, the upcoming light welterweight boxer, said the event is set to give them good exposure for their next international championships.

“However, we are not ready to be beaten here at home with the growing home support. This is where we must record our best performance,” he said.

As hosts, Kenya has been allowed to field two teams, and head coach Musa Benjamin said they are entering a squad of 35 players, both male and female.

He confirmed that there have been no injuries since they entered into residential training.

Their main opponents, according to the coach, are DRC, Cameroon, and Gabon.

“But we are ready for them by all means, and we’ll not underrate any of them,” he said.