Boxing: Kenya focus on France Olympic qualifiers

Kenya's Nick Okoth after booking a slot to the Tokyo Olympics. [Courtesy]

Kenyan boxers have the last chance of qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after just two of their pugilists made it at the African qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal.

After failing to bag numerous slots at the continental event, where Kenya finished fifth, the World Olympic qualifiers in Paris, France in July, give Kenyans a lifeline of some sort.

Kenya tied in fifth with Tunisia, Ghana and Mozambique after each team sent two boxers to 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games set for Japan from July 24 to August 9.

The two Kenyans boxers who qualified were captain Nick Okoth, who is the 2015 African Boxing Championships gold medallist and Commonwealth Games flyweight bronze medallist Christine Ongare.

Algeria finished top after seven of their boxers bagged the Olympics tickets.

Morocco had six while Cameroon and Zambia tied in third with three boxers each.

Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Mauritius, Namibia and Uganda all had one boxer each earning a ticket to the Games.

24 countries failed in their attempt to send any boxer to the Tokyo games.

Out of the 38 countries that featured in the 10-day tournament, only Zambia had a hundred percent qualification after all their three boxers made it to the games.

Kenya sent a team of 13 players – eight male and five female boxers.

The global qualifiers are only for boxers who participated in their continental qualifiers but failed to make it to the Olympics.

National boxing team manager Chrispin Onyango said their aim to qualify more boxers in Dakar was frustrated by biased officiating.

“These boxers were denied victory and should be given another chance to showcase their talent and experience at the global qualifiers,” he said in Dakar before the team’s arrival yesterday.

Ajowi lost to Baalla Youness of Morocco.