NINE WOMEN BOXERS LAND IN THE FINALS OF ZONE 3 TOURNEY
▪️ DR Congo lead with four pugilists in the finals, Kenya and Tanzania two each and Uganda one
Nine female boxers have qualified for the finals of the Africa Zone 3 Championships which started on Monday, October 20, at the Kasarani Gym in Nairobi.
The nine boxers made it to the finals without throwing a punch after the draws conducted on Saturday.
DR Congo leads with four boxers, 2023 Africa champion Malewu Tekasala in the light-heavyweight division, heavyweight Tshimwanga Kande, middleweight Mwamba Lulua and light-middleweight Muleketsi Nsii.
Kenya’s two boxers in the finals are lightweight Emily “Ring Princess” Juma and light-middleweight Friza “Smiling Assasin” Asiko, Tanzania’s welterweight Salma Yahya and heavyweight Veronica Ebron.
Uganda’s featherweight sensation Fatuma “The Thunder” Nabikolo is also in the finals and will meet the winner of the semi-final bout between DR Congo’s Kerene Phoba and Tanzania’s Zawadi Kutaka.
“I’m ready for anyone of them qualifying to meet me, I’m in Nairobi to win a gold medal,” a confident Nabikolo told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview.
The 22-year-old Nabikolo made her international debut in the 2024 Mandela Africa Boxing Cup Championships in Durban, South Africa where she won a bronze medal.
At lightweight Kenya’s boxer-puncher Emily Juma awaits the winner of the semi-final bout between DR Congo’s Zalia Munga and Tanzania’s Vumilia Twalibu.
Tanzania’s welterweight Salma Yahya will meet the winner of the semi-final between DR Congo’s Lusamba Mbayo and Uganda’s Africa Championships bronze medallist in 2023 Emily Nakalema. In the light-middleweight division, Kenya’s Friza Asiko aka Smiling Assasin and DR Congo’s Muleketi Nsii qualified directly to the final because they were the only entrants in the 66-70kg weight class.
At middleweight, DR Congo’s Mwamba Lulua battles either Kenya’s warhorse Liz Andiego or Tanzania’s Salma Changalawe both of whom clash in the semi-finals today, October 21.
Light-heavyweight Malewu Tekasala, now unbeaten in three fights as a professional, awaits the winner of semi-final clash between Kenya’s Lorna Kusa and Tanzania’s Rachel Peter Msengi. In the heavyweight class, Tanzania’s Veronica Ebron and DR Congo’s Tshimwanga Kande qualified directly to the finals since they’re the only ones entered in the +81kg weight class.
Kenya and Tanzania have eight female boxers each in the semi-finals, DR Congo seven, Uganda four and Ethiopia two and Gabon one.
