Kenya national boxing team coach Benjamin Musa has affirmed he will drop six more boxers from the squad he has taken to Nanyuki for high altitude training camp, ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualifiers.
Both the men and women’s boxing teams shifted to Nanyuki on Sunday, as the qualifiers set for Senegal draw near.
Initially, Musa dropped six boxers from the squad of 25 that was in Nairobi before heading for two-week camp.
“We will finally remain with eight men and five women boxers. For now we have 19 boxers in in camp, but we will have to drop six men as we have already settled on the final five women,” said Musa.
On the women’s team are Veronica Mbithe and Ann Wanjiru (flyweight), Lorna Kusa (welterweight) and Anne Stacy Ayoma (lightweight).
Three weeks ago, Azaad Nazir (lightweight) and super heavyweight man Tobias Okeyo were dropped for various reasons as put by the coach, before Hezron Maganga (light heavyweight) and Ethan Maina (lightweight) were axed last week.
Coach Musa said the Nanyuki high altitude training will be crucial as he advances to more detail from one boxer to the other, according to their individual capability.
“In Nairobi our sessions were basically conditioning and strength with different techniques, but now we concentrate on centralized sessions like punching harder, faster and with precision, gliding across the right with ease and purpose. We want to ensure we go to Dakar in the best form we can achieve in our team,” added the tactician.
The daily training program at Nanyuki camp starts at 5am every day, first session running to 7am while the second one is at 9:30am to 11:30am.
The last session kicks off at 3:30pm and ends at 5:30pm, a program that Musa believes will make a huge difference in the shape of the squad.
Musa and his assistants are keen to have a minimum of seven boxers in both men and women’s teams to Tokyo Olympics, after the Dakar fiesta.
Among the boxers highlighting Kenya’s squad are 2012 Olympian Elizabeth Andiego (middleweight), Africa Games silver medallist Shaffi Bakari (flyweight) and Team Kenya captain for 2019 African Games Nick Okoth (Featherweight) who also participated at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
During the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in Brazil, its only Rayton Okwiri (welterweight), Peter Mungai Warui (light flyweight) and Benson Gicharu (Bantamweight) that represented Kenya.
The team in Nanyuki leaves the country between February 15-17 for the Africa qualifiers that start on February 20, extending to Feb. 29 in the Senegalese capital.
Men
Super Heavyweight: Fredrick Ramogi,
Heavyweight: Elly Ajowi, Joshua Wasike
Light heavyweight: Humphrey Ochieng
Middleweight: Rayton Okwiri, George Cosby, Edwin Okongó
Welterweight: Boniface Mogunde
Lightweight: Joseph Shigali, Victor Odhiambo
Featherweight: Martin Oduor, Nick Okoth
Flyweight: Shaffi Bakari, David Karanja
Women
Middleweight: Elizabeth Andiego,
Welterweight: Elizabeth Akinyi
Lightweight: Everline Akinyi
Featherweight: Beatrice Akoth
Flyweight: Christine Ongare
