Four boxers in the 12 member national boxing team ‘Hit-Squad’ will be making their debut at this year’s edition of Africa Boxing Championship currently underway in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
The four include minimum weight Silas Onyango,Clinton Macharia,Cruiser Weight Chrispin Ochanda and Flyweight Faitha Nafula.
The men’s squad is led by captain Boniface Mugunde, Abednego Kyalo Flyweight, Shaffi Bakari Featherweight and Aloice Vincent.
The Women team consists Amina Martha Bantamweight and Elizabeth Andiego light heavyweight.
Uganda topped the East Africans last year in Yaounde, finishing ninth overall with two silver and five bronze medals followed by Tanzania at number 13, Kenya 17th and Burundi 18th overall with a bronze by female flyweight Liliane Nshimirimana who won Burundi’s second medal in the Africa Championships after the first one – a silver by Ornella Havyarimana – in 2022 Africa Championships in Maputo.
Tanzania will be represented by four boxers, light-middleweight Saidi Kanenda, bantamweight Zulpha Macho, light-welterweight Najma Isike and captain Yusuf Changalawe who won bronze in Yaounde with Grace Mwakalema making history as Tanzania’s first ever medallist in the Africa Championships winning a silver medal.
Changalawe might however not make it to Kinshasa. In case he fails to appear, he will be replaced by minimumweights, Ally Ngwandu or Miriam Maligisa.
Kenya finished 17th overall with 7 bronze medals in the 2023 edition held in Yaounde , Cameroon as Morocco bagged the overall title.
