'Commander' Okoth leads hungry 'Hit Squad' in Commonwealth Games mission

Nick “Commander” Okoth is ready to hang up his gloves but not without a medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games slated for July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, England.

The “Hit Squad” captain has been in boxing for 27 years since he was introduced to the sport as a 12-year-old boy in Nairobi's Mathare slums in 1995 by the current national team head coach Benjamin Musa. 

Okoth, 39, is among four boxers who will represent Kenya in Birmingham alongside Shaffi Bakari, 28, Christine Ongare, 28, and Elizabeth Andiego, 35.

Okoth – a former two-time African champion – has been to all Commonwealth Games since 2010 in New Delhi, India.

He won bronze in bantamweight in New Delhi, lost at the quarter-final stage in lightweight at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland and suffered a round of 32 exit in lightweight at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

“This Commonwealth Games will be my last. I want to end my career with a medal, not just any medal but gold,” the pugilist from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) told Nation Sport on Friday.

He said it was through hard work that he earned the ticket to be in the Birmingham-bound team.

“I’m fit and our preparations have been okay. I know I will perform. Boxing is my job, it means everything to me. I have not won a medal at the World Championship or Olympic Games because some little errors have cost me but I have worked hard with my coaches to rectify them,” says Okoth who is satisfied with his boxing journey which gave him the KDF job back in 2006.

The 2015 Africa lightweight gold medalist Okoth comes from a boxing family which includes brothers Absalom Okinyi, Paul Ouma and Stephen Omondi and cousin Edwin Okong’o.

The former Telkom and Undugu clubs boxer has been to the Olympics twice; 2008 (Beijing) and 2020 (Tokyo).

Ongare, who won Kenya’s only boxing medal – a bronze in flyweight - four years ago in Gold Coast, says she is also ready for the quadrennial competition. “In boxing, you learn everyday. Focus is now on speedwork and how to handle different opponents,” noted Ongare who made her debut at the Commonwealth in 2014.

The 2017 African Games bronze medalist, who started her boxing with Boxgirls in Kariobangi North in 2010, dreams of going a notch higher in Birmingham.

“I’d like to get a medal in Birmingham but I will play my part and leave the rest to God. However, my wish and dream is to upgrade the bronze I got in Gold Coast,” said Ongare who also passed through Kariobangi Eddy Musi, Team Nairobi and Kentrack clubs before joining Kenya Police in 2019.

Ongare will compete in minimum weight (48 kilograms).

Bakari, who took part at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games and exited at the round of 16 at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, has high hopes heading to Birmingham.

“I have improved skillswise, speedwork and co-ordination of hands and footwork,” said the former Kisauni and KDF pugilist who turns out for Police’s side Chafua Chafua.

The 2019 African Games flyweight silver medalist revealed that his target is to be among the medal winners in bantamweight.

Andiego, who has been to the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and 2018, also said she is eyeing a podium finish.

“I was slowed down by a road accident in 2015. I had not fully recovered in 2018 but I am now,” said Andiego who competed at the 2012 London Olympics.

Both Okoth and Andiego are Star One coaches. Okoth said he will concentrate on coaching after the Birmingham Games, while Andiego will decide after the games.

Team Manager Albert Matito was also optimistic the Kenyan quartet will do well. “They have their visas ready and have been tested too for coronavirus. Covid-19 testing has been carried out every Monday since we entered camp on May 21,” noted Matito.