Kenya Faces Challenges at 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships
Kenya faces significant challenges at the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, with Pauline Chege and Lencer Akinyi eliminated from the Round of 16. Only team captain Liz Andiego remains in contention, hoping for victory in her upcoming quarterfinal fight. The Kenyan team has experienced multiple eliminations, and the current situation underscores the need for a strong performance moving forward.
Kenya’s challenges at the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships have intensified, as both Pauline Chege and Lencer Akinyi faced eliminations in the Round of 16 held in Nis, Serbia. Currently, only the team captain, Liz Andiego, remains, putting additional pressure on her upcoming quarterfinal match to uphold Kenya’s hopes in the tournament.
On day four of the championships, both Chege and Akinyi suffered defeats by referee stoppage. Chege, who faced Mijgona Samadova—a bronze medalist from the 2022 Asian Games—was halted 66 seconds into the second round after being dominated. The judges scored the first round decidedly in Samadova’s favor, leading to the referee’s intervention. In contrast, Akinyi experienced an even briefer contest, enduring a barrage of punches from Dragana Jovanovic, prompting the referee to stop the match after just 102 seconds.
Both athletes proceeded to the Round of 16 through walkovers, with Chege advancing past Montenegro’s Bojana Gojkovic and Akinyi benefiting from the absence of South Africa’s Thandolwethu Mathiba. Their exits add to a growing list of Kenyan eliminations, which also includes Amina Martha Faki, Cynthia Mwai, Emily Juma, Friza Anyango, and Veronica Mbithe, leaving Andiego as the only remaining competitor from the original eight.
Andiego, at 38 years old and participating in her fifth World Championships, received a bye into the light-heavyweight quarterfinals, where she will compete against China’s Wang Xiaomeng. A victory for Andiego would secure a minimum prize of $25,000 given the tournament’s total prize pool of $2.88 million.
As Kenya makes its fifth appearance at these championships, it is noteworthy that Christine Ongare remains the only boxer from the nation to have won a non-walkover victory at this level, accomplishing this in 2023. The regulations stipulate that boxers must win at least one bout to be eligible for monetary rewards, reinforcing the competitive nature of the event. Kenya’s delegation includes David Muhuhe as leader, Musa Benjamin as coach, and Gathoni Kinyua as team manager, with the competition concluding on March 16, 2025.
In summary, Kenya’s performance at the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships has been marked by significant setbacks, with the elimination of Pauline Chege and Lencer Akinyi in the Round of 16. With only Liz Andiego remaining in contention, there is a heightened anticipation for her upcoming bout that could potentially secure financial rewards for the team. Overall, the event has posed considerable challenges for the Kenyan delegation, emphasizing both the competitive nature of international boxing and the importance of securing victories for monetary eligibility.
Original Source: eastleighvoice.co.ke
