Okong'o aims for a perfect starts in Thailand

African Games middleweight gold medallist Edwin Okong’o in a past training. [Stafford Ondego,Standard]

African Games middleweight gold medallist Edwin Okong’o will be hoping for a positive start as he continues to chase for the 2024 Paris Olympics ticket when he takes to the ring in the second leg of World Olympic Qualifiers in Thailand on Saturday.

The Kenyan boxer will compete in the light heavyweight (81kg) category in the qualifiers because middleweight (75kg) is not an Olympic weight.

Okong’o faces Mohamadou Gory of Mali in a light heavyweight (81kg) bout at Bangkok Indoor Stadium.

This will be the first meeting between the two boxers, and head coach Musa Benjamin believes Okong’o has an edge over his opponent going by his continental rankings.

“It’s true both boxers have never met in any of the continental championships but Okong’o starts as the favourite in the match going by the recent rankings achieved at African Games in Accra,” he said.

Deputy captain and Africa Boxing Championships light middleweight bronze medallist Boniface Mogunde will take to the ring tomorrow against Walsh Aiden of Ireland in the light middleweight bout.

In all the fixtures involving the six Kenyan boxers in the showpiece that were released by International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials on Thursday evening, all their opponents are new to them.

On Monday, team captain and Nelson Mandela Cup gold medallist Elizabeth Andiego will battle with Irina Nicole Schoenberger of Germany in a middleweight clash.

Amina Martha who earned her cap at the first global qualifiers face Scarlett Delgado of Canada on May 28 in the bantamweight.