Kenya Faces Challenges at the 2025 IBA Women’s World Championships
Kenya’s performance at the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships has suffered as Pauline Chege and Lencer Akinyi were eliminated in the Round of 16. With Liz Andiego now the sole competitor, she aims to secure victory in her upcoming quarterfinal bout. The overall prize pool is substantial, yet only fighters who win at least one bout are eligible for awards.
Kenya continues to face challenges at the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, as athletes Pauline Chege and Lencer Akinyi were eliminated in the Round of 16 in Serbia. With only team captain Liz Andiego remaining in the competition, hopes now rest on her upcoming bout in the quarterfinals.
On day four of the championships, both Chege and Akinyi lost their bouts due to referee stoppages. Chege, fighting in the featherweight category against Mijgona Samadova, a 2022 Asian Games bronze medalist, was halted by the referee 66 seconds into the second round after trailing significantly on judges’ scorecards. Akinyi, competing in the flyweight division, experienced an even shorter match, being stopped after just 102 seconds in the first round by Serbian teenager Dragana Jovanovic.
Both Chege and Akinyi had progressed to this stage by walkovers, with Chege moving past Montenegro’s Bojana Gojkovic and Akinyi benefiting from South Africa’s Thandolwethu Mathiba’s absence. Their exits follow a series of earlier eliminations from the competition, with seven out of Kenya’s eight fighters already out, leaving only captain Liz Andiego to carry the national flag.
Andiego, who is competing in her fifth World Championships, received a bye to the quarterfinals in the light-heavyweight division. She is set to face China’s Wang Xiaomeng, who progressed after defeating Kazakhstan’s Gulsaya Yerzhan. A victory for Andiego would secure at least $25,000 in prize money, as the tournament features a total prize pool of $2.88 million, with significant awards for medalists.
This edition marks Kenya’s fifth appearance at the championships, having taken part in previous years including 2010, 2012, 2022, and 2023. Notably, Christine Ongare remains the only Kenyan to achieve a non-walkover victory in the competition’s history, having done so in 2023. According to tournament regulations, only boxers who win at least one bout are eligible for prizes, and competitors must be under the age of 41 to qualify.
The Kenyan delegation at the event includes Leader of Delegation David Muhuhe, Coach Musa Benjamin, and Team Manager Gathoni Kinyua, with the competition concluding on March 16, 2025.
In summary, Kenya’s participation in the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships has been marked by significant challenges, culminating in the elimination of key athletes Chege and Akinyi. With only Liz Andiego remaining, the team’s hopes hinge on her performance in the quarterfinals. The event highlights both the competitiveness of the championships and the need for continued development within Kenya’s boxing framework.
Original Source: eastleighvoice.co.ke
