TWO AFRICAN BOXERS QUALIFY FOR SEMIS, SEVEN BOW OUT
Morocco’s Olympic Games quarter-finalist Widad Bertal and compatriot Hasnae Larti sailed through to the semi-finals of Women’s World Boxing Championships on Thursday, March 13, 2025 in Nis, Serbia.
Bertal, two-time Africa champion and African Games bantamweight gold medallist stopped Vietnam’s Vo Thi Kim Anh in the third round while Africa light-heavyweight champion Larti outpointed Victoriya Kebikava from Belarus.
The semi-finals take place today, March 14. Top-seeded Bertal meets Serbia’s Sara Cirkovich with Larti taking on Russia’s light-heavyweight Saltanat Maldenova.
Seven other boxers from Africa failed to make it to the semi-finals. Here are their results:
Lightweight: Sierra Leone’s Josefien Betist lost 5-0 to Serbia’s European champion Natalia Shadrina.
Light-heavyweight: Kenya’s Liz Andiego lost to China’s Wang Xiaomeng. Referee Moris Puhno from Estonia controversially stopped the bout in round two.
Welterweight: Morocco’s Mounia Toutire beaten 5-0 by Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova
Minimumweight: Morocco’s Rabab Cheddar lost 5-0 to Russia’s Iulia Chumgalakova
Flyweight: Morocco’s Imane El Azami beaten 5-0 by Uzbekistan’s Feruza Kazakova
Light-middleweight: Morocco’s Saida Lahmida lost 5-0 to Ireland’s 2022 world champion Lisa O’Rourke
Middleweight: Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata lost 5-0 to China’s Wang Lina
