Kenya’s boxing team to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games set for April has started its preparations on the wrong footing with only a few days to the competition.
The team, nicknamed the ‘Hit Squad’ started their training on Monday in Nakuru, but their preparations did not start off smoothly due to lack of training gear.
The team, comprising of seven men and four women, is set to be at the training ground for three weeks, and are set to fly out of the country on March 24.
The team lacked even the basic of training gears including gloves, headgears, t-shirts and boots.
The squad needs at least 22 gloves which include 16 ounces (or 453.6grammes) gloves for sparring and 12 ounces (340.2grammes) gloves for the 11 boxers who will be traveling to Australia.
The teams had to beg for three gloves and headgears from an equally depleted hosts Nakuru Amateur Boxing Club.
According to Albert Matito the vice-president of Boxing Association of Kenya, the government is yet to provide for the essential gears.
“The boys are unable to do sparring as they are supposed to do ahead of a major competition and this is slowing down our preparations,” said Matito when he spoke to the media.He added:
“If a boxer gets a cut it might affect their training program and that is why we need them (training gear) urgently,” said Matito.