TOKYO (Kyodo) -- After becoming the first sisters to triumph at the same Japan national boxing championships, Sarii and Korin Kokufu have their sights firmly set on fighting at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The two oldest daughters among five siblings from Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, 20-year-old Sarii won the lightweight belt on Dec. 1 in Tokyo when Korin, who is younger by a year, added bantamweight honors to her resume after winning the 2023 national flyweight title.

The sisters have starkly contrasting boxing styles despite their common karate background, and they have pushed and encouraged each other to reach their own domestic pinnacles.

Sarii, the first to begin boxing in her high school club, is a hard-punching southpaw, while Korin is an orthodox, highly skilled fighter who operates at distance.

"I want to get stronger and go to the Olympics together," said Sarii, who started living with Korin in the spring of 2024 after the younger sister joined her at Nippon Sport Science University.

Their boxing obsession sees the sisters, similar in physique, doing mitt work at home whenever there is time. To avoid fighting each other in the same division, Sarii is working to gain weight while Korin seeks to keep it off.

"I'm in a good environment as I'm always with my sister and can speak with her when things are not going well," Korin said.

Their mother back home is also involved, sending her daughters meals designed to further their different goals. That has paid off as six to seven meals a day allowed Sarii to gain 4 kilograms before the national championships.

"I'm glad to have won," Sarii said. "We'll keep going, getting along well and having fun together."