Boxing: Mogunde keeps Olympic dream alive with upset

Kenya’s national boxing team, Hit Squad deputy skipper Boniface Mogunde was over the mood on Saturday but cautioned that the battle is not yet over in pursuit of his Olympics dream.

Mogunde claimed the first major upset at the Africa Olympic Games boxing qualifiers when he knocked out 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist Mohammed Rabii from Morocco in the light middleweight contest in Dakar, Senegal on Saturday. 

Mogunde unleashed a right hook that caught the reigning Africa middleweight champion’s left chin sending him to the canvas as the referee stopped the bout in the first minute of the second round.

Rabii is also the 2015 world middleweight gold medallist.

 “This is a great victory and I thank God for it. The bout fell in place well after following the instruction from my corner men, “said Mogunde. “They told me to start with a jab then follow it up with a right upper strike and it worked.”

Mogunde said it’s at the same place where he suffered a knockout during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games qualifiers.

“I have also claimed a similar feat this time around,” said Mogunde, adding that their 10-day training in Cuba raised their morale.

Mogunde is due to meet Arena Pakela, of Lesotho, in the next round on Sunday night where the winner will sail through to the quarterfinals. “I must stay focused,” said Mogunde, who is eying his debut at the Olympic Games.

David Karanja of Kenya also knocked out Thibaut Justin Ngbandamale of Central Africa Republic in the first round of the flyweight contest.

Karanja will now meet Johannes Trofimus from Namibia in the second round on Monday where the winner will advance to the quarter-finals. “The fights are tight and I still have four more bouts,” said Karanja, who also attributed his success to the Cuba tour.

A total of 235 boxers that include 12 Kenyans drawn from 41 countries are battling for 18 slots from the qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Senegal and Morocco top with 13 boxers each followed by Algeria, Kenya and Ghana 12 boxers each.

Hit Squad members at Africa Olympic qualifiers:

Women

1. Christine Ongare- Flyweight

2. Amina Martha- Bantamweight

3. Pauline Chege- Featherweight

4. Teresia Wanjiru - lightweight

5. Friza Anyango- welterweight

6. Elizabeth Andiego- Middleweight

Men

1. David  Karanja - Flyweight

2. Samuel Njau - Featherweight

3. Ethan Maina - Lightweight

4. Boniface Mogunde - Light middleweight

5. Peter Abuti - Heavyweight

6. Fredrick Ramogi - Super Heavyweight