ANDIEGO, MUSA BLAST ESTONIA REFEREE BUT PRAISE IBA FOR INSPIRING BOXERS
Boiling with anger, Kenya’s national boxing team head coach Musa Benjamin and his boxer Liz Andiego have hit out at Estonia referee Moris Puhno for prematurely stopping the light-heavyweight quarter-final bout between the Kenyan and China’s Wang Xiaomeng in the ongoing Women’s World Boxing Championships in Nis, Serbia on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
While Musa said they accepted defeat in other bouts in true sportsmanship spirit, he feels the referee was not justified to stop Andiego’s bout in the second round because his boxer had not been hurt or staggered by Xiaomeng’s punches.
In a statement he sent to boxersworld.co.ke, Musa said:”It’s very painful. After putting in a lot of work, sacrifice and dedication then this!!
“The Chinese keeps holding then the referee warns Liz in the first round. She wrestles her but my boxer receives a caution.
“Constant unwarranted cautions disrupt a boxer’s (Liz’s) rhythm and concentration.
“For whatever reason, the corner monitor wasn’t working so no scores for first round hence no fight plan for round two.Terrible decision. It really hurts the entire team.”
A dejected Andiego has appealed to the International Boxing Association (IBA) to punish such wayward referees for messing up the good job they’re doing especially introducing prize money in their tournaments.
“As I entered the ring, I had high hopes I would win my fight, said Andiego, and went on: “I started smelling a rat when the referee started warning me unnecessarily for holding yet it was the Chinese who was the one holding me, it was so irritating as if psychologically he wanted to demoralise me.
“I believe I was winning then he decided to deduct me a point.
Coming to the second round, I was ready to fight till the end but the referee stopped the fight. Her punches were not even strong I didn’t feel them, that’s why I was disappointed why the count and suddenly ending the fight.
“This is big tournament, let the boxers fight till the last round to determine the winner fairly unless a boxer is beaten badly and can’t reply but our fight was balanced. I had a very effective plan for the third round but unfortunately I didn’t implement it, the fight was stopped, you can’t judge a fight by one single punch that catches a boxer, how many fighters get knocked down and still go on and to win the fight, this is so unfair and demoralising to us boxers, we spend a lot of time training then a referee who has probably not been a boxer does this to us, this is why some boxers give up to do other things, boxing is our passion.”
Andiego however hailed IBA for inspiring boxers through prize money in their tournaments, and urged the world’s boxing governing body to introduce more prize money tournaments in Africa.
“I have done a lot with the prize money I’ve received from IBA,” said Andiego and welcomed the introduction of $10,000 to the quarter-finalists.
“Despite losing I’m happy I will earn $10,000. Long live IBA and President Umar Kremlev, they’ve really changed our lives for the better, we boxers are very grateful. Kremlev is mindful of boxers’ welfare we love him so much for improving our lives.”
