Hit Squad head coach Benjamin Musa has said they will use the upcoming national boxing league in Vihiga to identify pugilists who can punch tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The gaffer asked the current crop of national team boxers to polish their act, warning them that they are likely to lose their slots if they do not meet expectations.
“We plan to resume camp in January to embark on early preparations for the Olympic qualifiers. However, we shall be having a series of local events that could prove useful in helping us pick personnel for the qualifiers,” Musa said.
Musa said they will use the tournament in Vihiga to identify fresh talent that can boost our Olympic qualification chances.
“We’ll be having the National League in Vihiga on October 19. We had scheduled it for this weekend but postponed it because we had a planned trip to South Africa that never materialised,” Musa said.
Musa expressed regret after his charges failed to make a trip to South Africa.
“The tournament in South Africa known as the Mandela Cup and organised by AIBA was to be held this week but failed to take place as scheduled. The winners will be selected to represent the continent at the Global Boxing Championships.”
“The next Olympic qualifiers will be in Italy in mid-February before the ones that will be held in Thailand sometime in May,” Musa added.
Musa described their trip to Cuba as an important link to the desired heights. The national boxing was in Havannah for a 10-day training camp.
“This is what we have been missing over the years to raise our profile,” Musa said
“The idea is to pit our boxers against their Cuban counterparts who have dominated the scene for a long time now. We intend to gather invaluable lessons that might inspire us to good performance in Paris,” Musa said.
Musa reiterated the importance of build-up tournaments to help Kenyan boxers jut out full claws. “Kenyan boxers need to start engaging in such trips to get them ready for major international competitions,” Musa said.
Musa said they gleaned some vital lessons from their unsuccessful hunt for Olympic slots in Dakar, Senegal. “We took note of the areas that we should work on,” Musa said.
Musa asked his charges to leverage the stage in Italy and Thailand and punch as many tickets as possible to the 2024 Paris Olympics in France.
“The two are among the tournaments lined up by the International Olympic Committee to create the pathways to the Paris 2024 Olympics. We all need to give it our best shot,” Musa said.