The 2022 Africa Boxing Championships silver medallist Elizabeth Andiego has pledged to toil tirelessly for an Olympic ticket at the forthcoming qualifiers in Bangkok, Thailand.
Andiego, 37, is among head coach Benjamin Musa’s six-member Hit Squad contingent for the second World Olympic qualifiers from May 24 to June 2 in the Southeast Asian nation.
The hard-punching no-nonsense national team assistant captain will lead a lethal Kenyan female squadron comprising Friza Anyango (welterweight) and Amina Martha (bantamweight).
The men's side has light middleweight Boniface Mugunde (captain), light heavyweight Edwin Okong'o and heavyweight Peter Abuti.
“Everyone is in good form and ready to perform in Thailand,” Andiego said. “This is the biggest championship we are focusing on at the moment. We are determined to secure tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympics. We are preparing well and hope for the best.”
She and her teammates are determined to brush aside the past two heart-wrenching trouncings in Dakar and Rome.
Andiego’s resolve to shut out a second Olympic slot remains firm having previously flown the nation’s flag at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics alongside the trio of Elizabeth Akinyi, Nick ‘Commander’ Okoth and Elly Ajowi. They all returned from Japan empty-handed.
“I believe the country still stands a high chance of securing Olympic slots after two failed attempts in Dakar and Italy,” Andiego added.
She will hope to replicate the magnum opus performance that clinched her a gold medal at the Invitational Mandela Cup in South Africa last month.
She lit up the Durban International Convention Centre with a splendid performance that saw her register an emphatic 4-1 victory over Mozambican Rady Gramane in the final to tuck away the gold medal.
“My accomplishment at the Mandela Cup motivated me to aim higher at the qualifier. I believe I have what it takes to seal an Olympic Games ticket in Bangkok,” Andiego remarked.
"I’m happy I won a gold medal for Kenya. The win means a lot to me considering that I’m preparing for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers in Thailand. My confidence has received a major boost."
