Hit Squad Olympic Games hopes down to four pugilists

National boxing team Hit Squad suffered another blow in their bid to qualify for this year’s Paris Olympic Games yesterday after skipper Boniface Mogunde lost by knockout in his preliminary round of 64 bout to Croatia’s Petar Knezevic Kresimir in Busto Arsizio, Italy.

The fight that was overseen by Sri Lankan referee Thampu Nelka ended with a 3-2 KO victory in favor of Knezevic (10-9, 10-9, 10-9, 9-10, 9-10), a result that assistant coach David Munuhe says was due to luck.

"We were unlucky because Boniface was in a good position to win the fight, but he was KO'd. Even so, that is the state of boxing and today, as team Kenya, we will return to the ring represented by Elizabeth Andiego and David Karanja." Said Munuhe.

Elizabeth Andiego and David Karanja will enter the ring today against opponents yet to be confirmed later.

Fifty athletes will make the cut for to the Paris 2024 Olympics through the ongoing 1st World Qualification Tournament after failing to qualify through their continental qualifiers.

These will include 22 women and 28 men who have been participating in this competition, that started on February 29 and will end on 12 March 2024.

Six Kenyan boxers are taking part in the 2024 Paris Olympics 1st World Qualification, including Shaffi Bakari (Featherweight) and Frizah Anyango (welterweight), with flyweight pugilists Christine Ongare and Boniface Mogunde having lost their bouts so far.