Team Kenya captain Nick Okoth has sailed through to the second round of his featherweight bout at the ongoing Africa qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Okoth outwitted Wilson Semedo from Cape Verde on unanimous points decision in their Saturday bout.
Okoth, who is eying at return to the Summer Games after his last appearance in 2008 in Beijing, will now meet Egyptian Fahmi Mohammed in the second round on Monday.
Okoth’s victory came a day after featherweight Beatrice Akoth and lightweight Joseph Shigali were bundled out of the qualifiers.
African Games silver medallist Shaffi Bakari and Olympian Rayton “Boom Boom” Okwiri take to the ring in the second round of their respective bouts on Sunday.
Also on Sunday, Commonwealth bronze medallist Christine Ongare is confident of defeating Ornella Havyarimana from Burundi in the first round of their flyweight contest.
Bakari, who is seeded third, takes on Tetteh Sulemanu from Ghana in the the flyweight contest, while Okwiri meets top seeded David Kavuma from Uganda in the middleweight clash.
Sulemanu booked the date with Shaffi on Thursday after he took the fight to Mohamed Mostafa Galal Morsy of Egypt, which paid off as he emerged a handy winner.
Okwiri advanced to second round after beating Emhemed Salem from Libya.
The winner between Ongare and Havyarimana will earn a quarterfinal date with second seeded Zalia Modestine Munga from Congo on Tuesday.
“I have done everything possible in training, and the coaches too have put in their best efforts,” Bakari said. “What is remaining is for Kenyans to pray for us.”
Bakari noted that Okwiri set the pace for them with victory on Thursday; hence, they should take queue with similar performances. “But again, everything good comes with patience,” said Bakari.
“I have, together with the coaches, crafted a good plan for the physical Ugandan,” said Okwiri, adding that his experience and techniques should carry the day.
