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L. MathekaAkinyi fired up for Olympics
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 21.04.21. | 11:16
Four pugilists have qualififed for the Tokyo Olympics and have 93 days to prepare for the Games that were postponed from last year due to Covid-19
Kenya national boxing team ‘Hit Squad’ welterweight fighter Elizabeth Akinyi says featuring at the Olympics has been her dream and since she has landed the ticket to the Tokyo Games, she has her sight set on the podium and not merely participation in Japan.
#Congratulations
— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) March 21, 2021
"I have always dreamt of representing Kenya in the Olympics and receiving the news that have booked the slot for the Olympics, was the best thing that has happened to me"Elizabeth Akinyi,Welterweight boxer.#teamkenya @AIBA_Boxing @KenyaBoxing @moscakenya pic.twitter.com/F3YWz2iHac
Akinyi is one of the four boxers who will represent the country at the July Games having landed a ticket after the World qualifiers in France were called off and the Tokyo Olympics boxing task force resulted to use rankings to hand boxers the remaining tickets.
Elizabeth Akinyi & Elly Ajowi Ochola are the latest entrants to Team Kenya for Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games.
— Timoshenko (@Kianangih) April 6, 2021
The IOC Boxing Task Force in a mail to Olympics Kenya confirmed that the two boxers have earned a quota place to the Games through the BTF Rankings #50YearsOfWinning pic.twitter.com/c0vwQxe36Q
In addition to Akinyi, Kenya will be represented captain Nicholas Okoth in featherweight and Elly Ajowi in heavyweight for the men's category while Christine Ongare who competes in the flyweight category will join Akinyi in the women’s category.
“Before heading to the Africa Zone Three championship in Congo, our training was top notch and we were all in good shape and getting better. However, playing in a round robin format at the championship threw me off as I had never been in a competition that was using such a format. I made a few costly mistakes but still bagged bronze in my category. This suspension of sporting activities is, however, affecting that rhythm and we hope we can get back to training so we do not lose the progress we had already made,” said Akinyi.
AFRICA CHAMPIONSHIPS 2021-ZONE 3
— Boxing Federation of Kenya (@KenyaBoxing) March 25, 2021
DAY 3: SESSION 3 SUMMARY
WOMEN.
????????Zalia defeat Christine Ongare????????
????????Yumba defeat Stacy Achieng ????????
????????Elizabeth Akinyi defeat Helena????????
????????Rudy defeat Elizabeth Andiego???????? pic.twitter.com/TCNfn069vq
Akinyi bagged her first continental medal in 2017 at the African Confederation Boxing Championship (AFBC)in Brazzaville, Congo Republic where she lost to Clotide Essiene of Cameroon 4-1 on points in the semi-final to bag bronze. The AFCB event was a qualifier for the International Boxing Association (AIBA) World Championship.
In 2020 she made it two bronze medals at the African Olympic qualifiers in Senegal, a feat that saw her miss a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics. She made it three bronze medals with her exploits in Congo in March 2021.
“I am highly motivated by Elly Ajowi’s who moved out of his comfort zone, fought in a category he is not used to and still managed to bag gold in Congo. His recognition by Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) as the best athlete of the month of March adds to my fire.Everything he did in the lead up to the Zone Three championship will be part of my routine as I intend to medal at the Olympics, which is a big stage,” Akinyi offered.
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