Kenya’s Nick “Commander” Okoth will be returning to the Olympics after 12 year-hiatus.
Okoth, whose last appearance in the Olympics was during the 2008 Beijing Games, booked his ticket to this year’s Tokyo Olympics after winning his semi-final featherweight bout against Ugandan Isaac Masembe at the ongoing Africa qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal.
The Team Kenya captain edged out Masembe in a 4-1 decision to qualify for the final. Okoth, who turns 37 next month, triumphed 28-29, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 and 29-28 to make his second appearance at the Olympics since 2008, having won the Africa qualifier.
Okoth will now face Zambian Everisto Mulenga in the final on Saturday. Mulenga also edged out Samuel Takyi from Ghana in a 4-1 decision in the other semi-final.
However, Masembe and Takyi still have another chance when they meet in the box-off on Friday ahead of the explosive Okoth and Mulenga’s final.
Kenya also has another chance to qualify one more boxer with Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Christine Ongare meeting Uganda’s Catherine Nanziri in the flyweight box-off on Friday.
–nation.co.ke
