This archive report was first published on 30 August 2019.
Kenya's boxing team has made history at the African Games in Rabat, Morocco, with an impressive five-medal haul.
According to Boxing Association of Kenya (BAK) president Anthony Ombok, this achievement marks a new dawn for the sport in Kenya, with more success yet to come.
Shaffi Hassan Bakari's silver medal in the men's flyweight 52kg category brought an end to a 12-year drought for Kenya in the championships, a drought that had seen the country miss out on either silver or gold.
Kenya's boxers also won four bronze medals through Elly Ajowi (heavyweight, 91kg), Fredrick Ramogi (superheavyweight, +91kg), George Ouma (middleweight, 75kg), and Boniface Mogunde (welterweight, 69kg).
This performance is a significant improvement from the 2015 African Games in Brazzaville, Congo, where Kenya won only two bronze medals through Nick Okoth and Ajowi.
BAK president Anthony Ombok attributed the success to proper planning and teamwork among stakeholders, saying, 'The most important thing is teamwork, and since I came in recently, I have exactly embraced that where we are sharing ideas between the officials, coaches, and players, and that has really worked very well.'
Ombok also revealed plans for the 'Hit Squad' to have proper preparations ahead of the Olympic qualifier matches slated for next year February, saying, 'The only secret to success in boxing is to play against the best, and we have developed a lot of contacts with other countries, and we will be looking forward to playing them in friendlies in order to sharpen our skills.'
However, Kenya's women's boxing team failed to bag a single medal at the championships, with head coach Benjamin Musa acknowledging that they need to tighten some loose ends, including speedwork and movement, which are key determinants in the sport.
