Africa-Press – Kenya. Hit Squad flyweight pugilist, David Karanja, says he is ready to battle tooth and nail for a historic maiden Commonwealth appearance and a possible medal at the 2022 Birmingham Games scheduled for July.
Karanja, who last month made the trip to Serbia for the AIBA World Boxing Championships with the national boxing team, said he is confident of securing a slot in the provisional Hit squad that will be named at the conclusion of the ongoing President Jamal Boxing Championships in Kisumu.
Karanja is defending his title in the 51 kgs division, having bagged the gold medal during the maiden edition that concluded at the Charter Hall in Nairobi last month.
“I am focused on maintaining my presence in the Hit Squad with eyes firmly trained on the forthcoming international outings, including the African Championships and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham,” said Karanja.
Karanja sought to defend Hit Squad’s poor show in Belgrade, saying they had sharpened their claws well enough for the tournament only to be let down by the organizers at the eleventh hour after drastic changes were made to the rules.
“We only came to know later that the rules had been tinkered with. Whereas our opponents were informed about the changes, we were kept entirely in the dark,” said Karanja.
“The good news is that we now know exactly what to expect and we shall be on the lookout for any arising transformation in the boxing scene so that we can adjust accordingly,” said Karanja.
Karanja confirmed he had been recruited by the Kenya Police Boxing team to ply trade for them in local competitions although he is yet to join the forces officially.
“I’m not an officer just yet, only playing for Kenya Police Boxing Club,” he said.
Karanja was among the Hit Squad pugilist who dominated the proceedings even as the second edition of the inaugural President Jamal Boxing Championships entered the penultimate stage at Social Area in Kisumu on Friday.
He, together with Shaffi Bakari (also of Kenya Police) romped to the semis after making light work of Moses Irungu (G44) and Ken Okello of Kenya Prisons respectively.
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