This archive report was first published on 28 August 2019.
Kenya's boxing team is making a strong impression at the African Games in Rabat, Morocco, with several boxers qualifying for the semi-finals.
On August 6, 2019, national superheavyweight champion Fred Ramogi was set to take on Tshikera Jeamie Kibembi of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first semi-final at Amani Indoor Sports Centre. Ramogi aimed to knock out Moroccan Mohammed Firisse in the first round to secure a win for 'Hit Squad' in the event of a split points decision.
However, team manager Isaac Mbote expressed disappointment over 2015 African Games lightweight bronze medalist Nick Okoth's 2-3 loss to Moroccan Hamut Mohammed in the quarter-final featherweight clash. Mbote alleged unfair officiating, stating that Okoth dominated the three rounds of the bout but ultimately lost.
Meanwhile, national flyweight champion Christine Ongare also bowed out of the games after losing to Nigeria's Oriyomi Ayisat Morenikeji on a unanimous points' decision in a quarter-final. This marked the exit of seven other Kenyan boxers from the competition.
Kenya stands out as the only East African country with five boxers in the semi-finals, followed by Uganda with three. National flyweight champion Shaffi Hassan Bakari and middleweight champion George Cosby won their respective quarter-final fights to qualify for the semi-finals on Monday evening.
Boxing Federation of Kenya technical director Albert Matito attributed the team's performance to a lack of time for residential training, stating that nearly all the boxers could have made it to the medal bracket with more preparation time.
