Hard hitting boxer Rayton Okwiri bags gold in Cameroon

Hard hitting boxer Rayton Okwiri bags gold in Cameroon

Babajide Orevba
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:43 PM

- Rayton Okwiri, clinched a gold medal from Cameroon after defeating Egyptian Walid Sedik in welterweight category during the Rio 2016 Olympics Qualifiers 

– Only  Okwiri got the ticket to the Olympics, which will take place in Brazil in August this year while other boxers will contend in Olympic final qualifiers in June in Baku to get the slot

– In 1988,  Robert Wangila Nyapunyi made history as the first African fighter and Kenyan to bag gold at the Seoul 1988 Games in South Korea

– Men and women’s rugby teams will also represent Kenya in the Summer Games and the country hopes to harvest many golds in Athletics

Rayton Okwiri returned with gold medal from Cameroon after defeating Egyptian Walid Sedik in welterweight category during the Rio 2016 Olympics Qualifiers .

Kenya had sent 13 boxers- 10 male and three female- and only Okwiri, 29, qualified for the Summer Games directly after clinching gold in the 64kg welterweight division.

Peter Mungai won bronze in the lightweight 49kg category.

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Other hit Hit Squad members including bantamweight Benson Gicharu and middleweight Nick Abaka who are taking part in the AIBA pro-boxing lost their bouts early.

Mungai and the rest of the team will have to battle in final World Qualifiers in Baku, Azerbaijan in June the only platform left for the rest of the team.

The Hit Squad touched down from Cameroon on Monday, March 21.

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The boxers speaking at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after most of their dreams were dimmed by inadequate preparations said government is not doing enough to help them.

Before the team travelled there was bitter tussle between the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts and Boxing Association of Kenya (BAK) over funding the team and government officials had to rush the money to the airport on departure day.

The team is managed by Coach Patrick Maina.

Kenya took position 10 in the AIBA Olympic qualification while Cameroon registered two victories and two Ugandans qualified.

Okwiri will be focusing on his speed over before August.

Kenya is good in athletics and the country hopes for many medals from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil where the event will take place.

Women volleyball team will seek the ticket to the event in May when they play in qualifiers contest and they have high chances of making Brazil.

The late Robert Wangila Nyapunyi made history as the first African fighter to bag gold at the Seoul 1988 Games in South Korea.

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Authors
Babajide Orevba photo
Babajide Orevba
Babajide Orevba is a CAF accredited Nigerian journalist and HOD of the Local Desk with over 10 years of experience in media landscape.He studied NCE Political Science/Social Studies, AOCOED.
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