Final squad to Africa Boxing Championships named

The Boxing Federation of Kenya has named a squad of 15 boxers who will represent the country at what has been dubbed as the richest ever boxing tournament in Africa - the African Boxing Championships - slated for 25 July to 6 August 2023 in Yaounde, Cameroon.

The premier pan-continental annual championships are expected to attract a record 33 plus countries across the continent that will trade leather in the extravaganza that offers a total Ksh. 122,150,000 in prize money.

In a not-so-changed lineup from the BFK, the team will comprise of 10 men and five women, most of whom were named in the squad of 24 boxers that made it out of the 1 July National qualifiers at Charter Hall, Nairobi.

Leading the team will be the team skippers - Boniface Mugunde and Elizabeth Andiego - who were also part of the Kenyan quartet that won medals in last year’s edition held in Maputo, Mozambique.

Also on the list is Olympian Christine Ongare, Africa Boxing silver medalist in the featherweight category - Samuel Njau, 2023 Men’s World Boxing Championships sensation David Karanja, Robert Okaka, Peter Abuti and Frizah Anyango among others.

Given that the championships will adhere to the International Boxing Association rules and boxer quota, the boxers will fight in their respective weights that do not reflect the reduced Olympics weights.

“We will have boxers now return to their usual weights but the boxers who will be named in the Kenyan team to the Olympic qualifiers will use the games as preparation. And of course there is the extra motivation in that there will be good money,” BFK Communications Director Duncan Kuria said.

The gold medalists in the tournament will take home $20,000 (Ksh. 2,843,000), $10,000 (Ksh.1,421,500, with the bronze medalists bagging $5000 (Ksh. 710,750).

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“It is our expectation that we improve on our performance last year where we had three silvers and one bronze,” Kuria added.

The team travels on Wednesday morning at 0500hrs.

FULL TEAM: David Karanja, Samuel Njau, Ethan Maina, Boniface Mogunde, Robert Okaka, Peter Abuti, Fredrick Ramogi, Abednego Kyalo, Anthony Maina, Shaffi Bakari, Christine Ongare, Amina Martha,Teresia Wanjiru, Friza Anyango, Elizabeth Andiego.