‘Ndondi Mashinani’ key to ‘Hit Squad’ good show in Dubai, says pugilist Okaka

Kenya Defence Forces [KDF] boxer Robert Okaka has credited the ‘Ndondi Mashinani’ Initiative for the national boxing team’s impressive outing at this year’s Elite World Boxing Championships, held in Dubai, describing the overall performance as ‘above average’.

The grassroots programme, launched in 2019, was key to the ‘Hit Squad’ posting their best display at the global championships in over four decades.

In Dubai, Kenya won five bouts—an improvement on previous editions where the team often exited at the opening hurdle. Bantamweight Shaffi Bakari, featherweight Paul Omondi, lightweight Washington Wandera and light heavyweight Okaka all showed encouraging promise on the world stage.

Bakari, Omondi, Wandera and Okaka each won their opening Round of 32 bouts to advance to the pre-quarter-finals, where the trio bowed out, while Okaka pushed on to the quarter-finals before losing to Russia’s Dzhambulat Bizhamov. Reflecting on the campaign, Okaka said the team gained valuable lessons that will shape their future preparations.

“Winning and losing is part of the game. These matches help us understand our strengths and weaknesses as we prepare for our next international assignments,” said Okaka.

Bakari and Okaka were competing at the world championships for the second time, while Omondi and Wandera were making their debuts in Dubai. In his opening fight, Wandera defeated Uganda’s Fahad Mulindwa by unanimous decision in a lightweight (60kg) contest.

Africa light middleweight champion Boniface Mogunde and Africa Games middleweight champion Edwin Okong’o were eliminated in the Round of 32. Okong’o lost 4-1 on a split points decision to Israel’s Kapuler Ishchenko in a bout where pundits felt the Kenyan soldier put up a strong fight but was undone by his opponent’s superior experience.

Despite early exits, flyweight Kelvin Maina and welterweight Wiseman Kavondo also impressed with their performances. Maina, who boxes for Kenya Defence Forces, lost 5-0 to Kazakhstan’s Sabit Daniyal in the Round of 32, but showed flashes of quality that underline the team’s growing depth.

The Dubai campaign reinforced the belief Kenyan boxing is on an upward trajectory, with Ndondi Mashinani continuing to lay a solid foundation for future success.