Breaking news:
MOROCCAN BERTAL EARNS $100,000 IN JUST NINE MINUTES!
It’s gold for Morocco and gold for Africa!
Two-time Africa champion Widad Bertal outpointed Turkish Olympic silver medallist Hatice Akbas in the final bantamweight bout of the 2025 Women’s World Championships in Nis, Serbia, on Sunday, March 16.
In just nine minutes, Bertal minted $100,000 the top prize for the gold medalists while Akbas earned $50,000 for silver medalists, courtesy of the world’s richest amateur boxing body, International Boxing Association (IBA).
What a memorable achievement for Bertal who now becomes the second African female boxer to win a world title after her compatriot, Khadija Mardi who won gold at the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi, India.
The fight did however not produce the expected fireworks and skillful boxing.
Both boxers had to be told by the referee to engage in the first round instead of dancing in the ring without attacking punches. Akbas then piled on points on the retreat with Bertal hardly landing any telling punch. She won the round unanimously.
Bertal started the second round aggressively, time and again unleashing sporadic combinations that landed on target to take the round 4-1 points.
The Moroccan maintained the same approach in the third round, carrying the fight to Akbas but constant holding by the two boxers messed up the pattern of the fight which I thought would be a clinch-free action-packed encounter.
In the middle of the round, Akbas touched the canvas with both gloves. That should have resulted in a standing count because it’s the same as a knockdown but the referee closed her eyes to that anomaly. Bertal should have also been counted when she took a knee signalling to the referee her head guard needed adjustment.
Bertal, who is also the African Games champion and Paris Olympics quarter-finalist, maintained her work rate landing smart combinations on Akbas’ face to win the fight by 3-2 decision that went for a Bout Review with the Moroccan prevailing 5-2, meaning the two extra judges both scored the fight in her favour. A fair decision indeed.
Well done Bertal. You can now dance all night long and screeeeeeam if you want. You’ve done Africa proud.
