African Games: Okoth, Ongare lose as Bakari and Cosby glide into semi-finals

Boxer Nick Okoth during the team's training session at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani in Nairobi on August 6, 2019 [Courtesy]

National superheavyweight champion Fred Ramogi expects to qualify for the finals when he takes on Tshikera Jeamie Kibembi of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first semi-final at Amani Indoor Sports Centre at the African Games in Rabat, Morocco, this afternoon.

Ramogi is keen on upstaging Moroccan Mohammed Firisse through knockouts in the first round to ensure ‘Hit Squad’ wins when the bout is decided on a split points decision.

Team manager Isaac Mbote was unhappy with 2015 African Games lightweight bronze medalist Nick Okoth’s 2-3 loss to Moroccan Hamut Mohammed in the quarter-final featherweight clash.

“We witnessed unfair officiating. We should have won the match because our boxer dominated the three rounds of the bout and ended up losing. This is not fair,” said Mbote.

As Mbote mourned Okoth’s loss, national flyweight champion Christine Ongare also bowed out of the games after losing to Nigeria’s Oriyomi Ayisat Morenikeji on unanimous points’ decision in a quarter-final to join the seven other Kenyan boxers who have exited the competition.

Kenya stands out as the only East African country with five boxers at five players in the semifinals followed by Uganda with three.

National flyweight champion Shaffi Hassan Bakari and middleweight champion George Cosby won their respective quarter-final fights to qualify for semifinals on Monday evening.

Bakari defeated Ugandan Businge Champion 4-1 as Cosby also eliminated Pakela Arena of Lesotho by a similar margin and they will join three others who made it to the last four last weekend.

They are welterweight Boniface Mogunde (69kg), heavyweight Elly Ajowi (91kg) and superheavyweight Fredrick Ramogi (over 91kg).

Boxing Federation of Kenya technical director Albert Matito said the team never had enough time for residential camp.

“Had we had enough time for residential training, nearly all the boxers could have made it to the medal bracket,” he told Standard Sports.