The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) has urged the Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) to come up with a feeder program to aid in revitalizing the national boxing team ‘Hit Squad’ in future assignments .
The Olympics Committee remarks come in the background of an alarm raised over the underwhelming performances by Kenyan hit squad which featured in the Konstatin Korotkov International Boxing Championships.
According to NOC-K treasurer Anthony Kariuki, the Kenyan team faced very young and tactical opponents in their various bouts in the tournament. Thus, they saw the need to change the system and tap young talents to improve the boxing team for better performances in future assignments.
The NOC-K treasurer was the leader of the Kenya delegation during the Konstatin Korotkov International Boxing Championships in the city of Khabarovsk, which ended on Saturday May 15, May.
The game saw Kenya come second to Morocco among African countries that participated in the tournament having bagged two bronze medals at the end of the competition.
His sentiments come at a time when the Boxing Federation of Kenya has set up plans to send its four boxers who have qualified for the coming Olympics to the Philippines to another tournament after the federation wrote to the Kenyan government through the Ministry of Sports to show their interest in participating in the tournament which will aid in preparation for the main event in Tokyo.
While at the tournament in Russia, Team Skipper Nick Okoth won a bronze medal in the featherweight division (57kg) while Olympian Elly Ajowi also won a bronze medal in the super heavyweight of (over 91kg) category.
But flyweight boxer (48kg) Christine Ongare and welterweight (69kg) Elizabeth Akinyi finished fifth in their respective weight categories after recording losses in the opening bouts of the women's category.
The team is expected to arrive today at 7pm Kenyan time at JKIA after starting their journey from Russia on Sunday and will also be expected to shift focus for their incoming tasks ahead.