21 boxers to represent Kenya in Zone Three Championships in Dar es Salaam

A total of 21 boxers will represent Kenya in the upcoming Africa Zone Three Championships slated for April 18-23 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

National team head coach Musa Benjamin made the team announcement on Friday afternoon as he led the last phases of the Hit Squad sparring sessions at the Mathare Police Depot in Nairobi where the provisional team has been training for the past one week.

Notable names in the squad include African silver medalist and overall team captain Elizabeth Andiego - who is expected to steer the team alongside Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Christine Ongare in the minimum weight category.

In a shake up to the men's captaincy, light middleweight boxer Boniface Mugunde will lead the men's team in place of former team skipper Nick Okoth who announced his retirement late last year.

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"Mugunde will be our new men's captain and we hope that he will lead the team in a positive direction having been a long time team member," Musa Benjamin said on the team shake-up.

Also lining up for the male side will be 2022 Africa Zone Three gold medalist in the featherweight category Samuel Njau and Tokyo Games Olympian Elly Ajowi - expected to be the sole boxer in the super heavyweight category.

"I know we set a high bar in the 2022 games in the Democratic Republic of Congo," Musa reflected on the outstanding Hit Squad performances last term that saw the team bag 17 total medals finishing second in the overall standings. "Our plan is to make sure that we put up better performances this time round and be top."

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Making their zonal debuts will be male welterweight boxer Steve Olang' and the ladies pair of Emily Juma (flyweight) and Pauline Chege in the feather weight category.

The full team intends to hit camp for another week under the stewardship of Nick Okoth and team trainers David Munuhe and Julius Theuri.

FULL SQUAD

MEN

Abednego Kyalo, David Karanja, Shaffi Bakari, Samuel Njau, Ethan Maina,Joseph Shighali, Steve Olang, Bonface Mugunde, Edwin Okong'o, Hezron Maganga, Robert Okaka, Peter Abuti, Elly Ajowi.

WOMEN

Christine Ongare, Veronica Mbithe, Emily Juma, Amina Martha, Pauline Chege, Stacy Ayoma, Frizah Anyango, Elizabeth Andiego.