Kenyan boxers in Congo punching their way to Germany

Joseph Wasike (in red jersey) of Coast trade punches with Elly Ajowi (in blue jersey) of Police ABC in their heavy weight category final bout during the road to Olympics boxing championship trials at the Modern Fitness Lounge, January 24, 2016. Ajowi won by points and was among those selected to represent Kenya. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

Three Kenyan boxers advanced to the quarter-finals of the African Boxing Championships in Congo Brazzaville on Monday night after winning their first round matches.

The tournament is a qualifier for the World Boxing Championships in Hamburg, Germany, from August 25 to September 3.

The trio are light welterweight Victor Odhiambo, Blackmoses Mathenge (welter) and Elly Ajowi (light heavyweight). All the three secured 3-0 wins against their opponents.

Odhiambo stopped Daudau Eloge Gedssi of Ivory Coast, Mathenge beat Bellassek Abdelkabir of Morocco and Ajowi defeated Aboubakar Yoada of Ivory Coast.

However, super heavyweight Fred Ramogi bowed out of the tournament when he lost 3-0 to Carlos Kalonji of Ivory Coast.

Head Coach George ‘Foreman’ Onyango was happy with his charges' performance.

“This is a superb performance on the first day and I believe we have the capacity and chance to proceed to the medal bracket. The only blot was the first loss to Ivorian Kalonji who eliminated Ramogi,” Onyango told Standard Sports from Brazzaville.

Five more boxers were scheduled to slug it out yesterday evening after three of the matches were moved by the African Boxing Confederation due to congested fixtures, giving the boxers an equal opportunity to have adequate rest after each match.

Olympian middleweight female boxer Elizabeth Akinyi, who had earlier qualified for the global championships by virtue of romping into the semi-finals after member countries failed to register enough female players, had been scheduled to take on Clotilde Essiane of Cameroon. [Ben Ahenda]