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Champions Bakari, Andiego return at Africa Zone III boxing event
Elizabeth Andiego (right) of Kenya exchanges punches with Marie Joelle Mwaka of DRC in a light-heavyweight bout at Stade Des Martyrs Gymnasium in Kinshasa, DR Congo, during the 2024 African Boxing Championship.
Kenya will field 34 pugilists at the Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) Zone III Championships slated for October 15 to 26, 2025 at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani gymnasium.
The team, fondly known as the Hit Squad, has two gold medallists from the previous 2022 championships held in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kenya will field two pugilists in all but three of the 13 categories in the men’s contest while the country will provide two boxers in two of the nine categories they have entered.
The women's showdown has 12 categories.
Precisely, the Hit Squad has entered 23 boxers in men and 11 in women’s fray in the championships that will see 14 nations from East, Central and Western Africa slugging out for 12 days. Twelve of the boxers that include two women will be making their international debut.
It will be the first time the country is stating an international amateur boxing bonanza since the 2005 Africa Zone Five Championships staged at the MISC gymnasium.
Only one zonal country, Guinea Bissau, had not confirmed participation by yesterday. Kenya leads the charge in the extravaganza that will have Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Republic, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi and Rwanda.
Head coach Benjamin Musa said the zonal contest is a good stage to throw his rookies to the international scene as he rebuilds for the 2028 Los Angeles and 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
Shaffi Bakari and history-making Olympian Elizabeth Andiego, who pounded to victories in featherweight and light heavyweight in 2022, will now take the ring in bantamweight and middleweight respectively.
Africa champion Boniface Mugunde (light middle), who won bronze in the same weight category, will be hoping for better tidings alongside African Games champion Edwin Okong’o (middle), who is out to add yet another feather to his continental title.
Bakari will partner with Emmanuel Chondo, Mogunde has Alvin Oduor, Okong’o will partner with the 2019 African Games bronze medallist, while Andiego is Kenya’s only entrant in women’s middleweight.
Lorna Kusa, who claimed silver in light middleweight in 2022, has scaled to light heavy for the Nairobi show while the history-making Amina Martha, who took bronze in featherweight in DRC event, moves to bantamweight.
Andiego, who is also the 2022 Africa light heavyweight silver medallist, is the first Kenyan to feature at the Olympic Games during the 2012 London Games while Martha is the first Kenyan woman boxer to win a medal at the African Games. She achieved the feat in the 2024 Games in Accra, Ghana.
“We shall heavily put the emphasis on women boxing since we have great potential there as we also grow the men’s game,” said Musa.
Hit Squad
Men (23)
1. Silas Onyango, Abednego Kyalo (Minimum-48kgs)
2. Diouf Muimi, Kelvin Maina (Fly-51kgs)
3. Shaffi Bakari, Emmanuel Chondo (Bantam-54kgs)
4. Paul Omondi, Mwinyi Kombo (Feather-57kgs)
5. Washington Wandera, Ethan Maina (Light-60kgs)
6. Aloice Vincent, Caleb Wandera (L/welter-63.5kgs)
7. Joseph Shighali, Wiseman Kavondo (Welter-67kgs)
8. Boniface Mogunde, Alvin Oduor (L/middle-71kgs)
9. Edwin Okon’go, Cosby Ouma (Middle-75kgs)
10. Humphrey Ochieng (L/heavy-80kgs)
11. Chris Ochanda (Cruiser-86kgs)
12. Peter Abuti, John Oyugi (Heavy-92kgs)
13. Collins Macharia (S/heavy-92kgs+)
Women (11)
1. Jane Wangari (Minimum-48kgs)
2. Lencer Akinyi (L/fly-50kgs)
3. Veronica Mbithe, Faith Nafula (Fly-52kgs)
4.Amina Martha, Sheila Auma (Bantam-54kgs)
5.Emily Juma (Light-60kgs)
6. Cynthia Mwai (L/welter-63.5kgs)
7.Friza Anyango (Welter-66kgs)
8. Elizabeth Andiego (Middle-75 Kgs)
9. Lorna Kusa (L/heavy-81kgs)
