L. MathekaCommonwealth Games: Ongare looking to upgrade her bronze in Birmingham
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 25.07.22. | 11:05
Hit Squad has four boxers representing the country in Birmingham.
Christine Ongare, a 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, is ready to punch her way into an upgraded medal at Birmingham as the championship begins on 28 July to 8 August.
Ongare, 28, made history as the first Kenyan woman to win a Commonwealth Games medal in boxing during the last edition of the Club Games held in Gold Coast.
Christine Ongare represented Kenya at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia winning a bronze medal thus making her the first Kenyan woman to win a Commonwealth Games medal in boxing.
— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) May 31, 2022
With the vast experience she expects a podium finish at the @birminghamcg22 pic.twitter.com/JiWk4mEv1q
“It was a long journey to Birmingham but we are thankful for getting here healthy. We have a few days to acclimatize before getting down to business. We are done with training back home so now we are just preparing for the task ahead. I have set the target of getting another medal in this championship and hopefully a better one than bronze,” said Ongare upon arrival in Birmingham.
Her exploits in Gold Coast propelled her to a debut at the Olympics where she was among the Kenyan quartet that flew the country's flag.
Bak 2 my routine ##GOD THIS FAR IS U pic.twitter.com/wvpxK1yVLl
— Christine Ongare (@ChristineOngare) April 16, 2022
She put up a spirited fight to clinch bronze in this year's edition of the Africa Zone 3 Championship in Kinshasa Congo in March.
A month later, she was in action at the World Women's Boxing Championships in Istanbul, Turkey in May where, despite not winning any medal, she believes the wealth of experience gained will go a long way in helping her bag another Commonwealth Games medal.
The mother of one has since switched to the minimum weight category from the light flyweight division where she says she is more comfortable.
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She is joined in Birmingham by veteran Hit Squad captain Nick Okoth and Africa Zone 3 champions Elizabeth Andiego (light-heavyweight) and Shaffi Bakari (bantamweight).
“I experienced a lot of challenges while battling in the flyweight division. It was hard squaring off with some boxers who switched from bantamweight given they were comparatively more muscular and a little bit stronger than me. I am happy I will be facing my equals from now on after switching to the minimum weight division,” she told The Star in a previous interview.
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