This archive report was first published on 22 August 2019.
Kenya's boxing team got off to a disappointing start at the African Games in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday, August 21, 2019. Everlin Akinyi and Edwin Okongo, both Kenyan pugilists, were eliminated in the preliminary round.
Akinyi, making her international debut, was the first Kenyan to enter the ring in the 12th bout. She faced Moulahi Khouloud of Tunisia in the women's Light Welterweight (60kg) category and lost 5-0.
Okongo, on the other hand, was eliminated by Zambia's Kaonga Mbachi in the men's Light Heavyweight (81kg) category. Despite a spirited fight in the second and third rounds, Okongo was unable to overcome Mbachi's lead.
Kenya's head coach, Benjamin Moses, attributed the duo's inexperience as their greatest undoing in the match. 'It was Akinyi's first match representing the country, while for Okongo, he is also not so experienced, but he lost it in the first round when he failed to follow our game plan,' Moses observed.
Despite the loss, Moses remains optimistic about the team's chances, citing the experience of other boxers, including 2015 Games bronze medalist Nick Okoth, who is set to step into the ring today against Iyanga Moliko of Equatorial Guinea in the men's Featherweight (57kg) category.
Table tennis also proved to be a challenging sport for Kenya, with both the men's and women's teams losing their fixtures against Nigeria, Madagascar, Egypt, and host Morocco.
