Kenya’s team of eight boxers and four officials jet out for Serbia.
United in prayer before departure…
Excitement and a joyous sense of pride was written all over the faces of Kenya’s team of eight female boxers and four officials as they jetted out for Serbia via Dubai on Thursday night, March 6th. The team will represent the country during the Women’s World Boxing Championships.
The Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) President, Anthony Otieno Ombok aka Jamal treated the team to a savoury dinner at his Chel-C Hotel in Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi.
Smiling boxers let loose their combinations on innocent coconut fish, chicken and ugali knowing that this popular Kenyan delicacy is rare in Serbia.
The team was hosted to a mouth watering dinner at the Chel-C Hotel owned by BFK President Jamal before they departed for Serbia
“Go there and do us proud, I know you can make it,” Jamal told the team as he escorted them to board one of his PSV vehicles to transport them to the airport.
All the best coach…BFK President Jamal and head coach Musa Benjamin.
This is the fifth time Kenya is taking part in The Women’s World Boxing Championships. They first participated in the 2010 games in Bridgetown, Barbados, 2012 in Qinhuangdao, China, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey and 2023 in New Delhi, India
Warhorse Liz Andiego retains her position as captain, and is the only one in the team to have taken part in all editions, twice featuring in the quarter-finals in 2022 and 2023.
Eating is serious business for captain Liz Andiego
The boxers who left for Nis, Serbia, are: light-flyweight Veronica Mbithe, flyweight Lencer Akinyi, bantamweight Amina Martha, featherweight Pauline Chege, lightweight Emily Juma, light-welterweight Cynthia Mwai, welterweight Friza Anyango and light-heavyweight Liz Andiego.
Has Veronica Mbithe toppled BFK President Jamal in his office? So it seems but it was shortlived once she left for Serbia.
BFK’s 1st Vice-President and Secretary-General of Laikipia Country, Lydia Kinyua, is the team manager while Musa Benjamin is the head coach with David Munuhe the deputy head coach and trainer John Waweru.
No sweat no gain…Lencer Akinyi at a training session
Lencer Akinyi is resolutely determined and headstrong despite the herculean task she’s facing in Nis, Serbia where she’s making her international debut in the World Championships from March 8-16.
In normal circumstances, Akinyi should have gone through a gradual ascension featuring in inter-country, regional and Africa tournaments before taking part in Women’s World Championships but owing to lack of regular competitions in Africa and constant exposure, she is plunging into the deep waters in her maiden appearance for the national team.
She’s however not the only one faced with this challenge. Two of her teammates, lightweight Emily Juma and light-welterweight Cynthia Mwai, are also making their maiden international appearance in Serbia. Others such as featherweight Pauline Chege and welterweight Friza Anyango also made their international debuts in the last World Championships in New Delhi, India in 2023.
Akinyi will therefore have to dig deep into her reservoir of confidence, courage, perseverance and willpower; regardless of the big challenge in Serbia.
She will also rely on her knowledge and life skills she has gained at her club, Boxgirls. The community based organisation empowers the girl child through boxing.
Akinyi’s challenge will come from Asian and European boxers. At the 2023 Women’s Worlds, China’s Wu Yu won gold with Italy’s Sirine Charaabi settling for silver.
She and her compatriots have been training in a non-residential camp at Mathare Depot in Nairobi under head coach Musa Benjamin who is now putting in the finishing touches before departure for Serbia.
“Lencer is working on her speed and keeping range, she isn’t using her reach well and she’s very slow.”
Musa explains why she preferred Akinyi to Faith Nafuna who made her international debut in 2024 in the Africa Championships in Kinshasa, DR Congo.
“Lencer is a bit technically superior to Faith though the latter is stronger and more aggressive.”
Lencer Akinyi (left) in a past tournament
How does Akinyi feel representing the national for the first time?
“It is an incredible honor to represent my country, this is a dream come true and I feel proud to carry the flag to showcase my skills in the ring,” Akinyi told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview.
“Although it’s my first time, I’m ready to give my best, stay focused, and make my country proud.
“I’m expecting good results and performance with a relaxed mind, composure and to handle my opponents with confidence.”
The third born in a family of five girls, Akinyi, who is from Nyamira County in Kenya’s Western Region, ventured into boxing in 2020 at Boxgirls where she now works as a field coordinator.
“I joined Boxgirls Kenya in 2013 as a life skills participant since I never had an interest in boxing. After my high school I rejoined the organisation to give back to the community as a life skills facilitator.
“My journey as a boxer began at the end of the 2020 with coach Alfred Analo aka Priest and Jane Knight aka Sonko Msoto as my coaches. It hasn’t been easy because my coach believed in me more than I believed in myself. Being skinny was a big challenge to me by then because I thought boxing was all about masculinity.
“My mum (may she continue resting in peace) was also a big challenge when I began boxing, she was totally against it. She believed boxing was a male dominated sport and never wanted to hear about it. I trained for the last two months of 2020 and then in 2021 January I participated in the Nairobi and national novices and intermediates. In the national novices I was named the most promising boxer in the light-flyweight class. This was a big morale booster and encouraged me to work harder.”
Akinyi’s most memorable moment was when she fully stretched 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Christine Ongare before going down on points in 2023.
“I managed the whole three rounds with her,” recalls Akinyi who’s married and has a beautiful daughter called Larry.
“She won points but in an interview she said it seems I was just training for her since the fight wasn’t easy. This was after Jamal’s Cup in Kisumu when she stopped me within one minute of the first round.”
What inspires Akinyi in boxing?
“My biggest inspiration is the passion that I have for fitness and sports, it is through boxing that I have gained my confidence. I am also inspired by Commonwealth champion Sarah Achieng aka Angel of War who is my teammate and sparring partner. I also thank coach Charles Mukula of Dallas Boxing Club for he has also played big role in my boxing journey.”
Kenya's Christine Ongare (left) carrying the fight to Tanzania's Rahma Maganga in the 2023 Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, India.
KENYA’S ONGARE MAKES HISTORY
She becomes the second female boxer to win in Women’s World Championships in India.
🇷🇸 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Nis, Serbia, March 8-16, 2025.
Kenya’s Christine Ongare (left) is in a world of her own as Japanese referee Riichi_ _Igarashi stops her round of 16 bout against Turkey’s Erivan Barut in Women’s World_ _Boxing Championships in New Delhi on March 21, 2023.
Flashback 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, India.
It’s cheers and champagne for Kenya’s ardent boxing fans.
For the first time in 13 years, Kenya has won a bout in Women’s World Boxing Championships, thanks to Christine Ongare’s deserved second round stoppage win over Tanzania’s southpaw Rahma Maganga.
Ongare has now made history as the second Kenyan female boxer to win a fight in Women’s World Championships after Mary Muthoni, the first Kenyan winner in the 2010 Women Worlds in Barbados.
Ongare controlled the fight from the first round, feeding Rahma with constant dish of well executed right punches, forcing the referee to give Rahma a standing eight count in this round won by Ongare.
The Kenyan increased her work rate in round two, scoring punches with clinical efficiency. A constant dose of accurate rights to the face forced the referee to wave it off to save the young Rahma from further unnecessary punishment from her Kenyan neighbour. She was somewhat surprised why the referee stopped the fight.
Ongare’s bubble burst in the round of 16 when Japanese referee Riichi Igarashi surprisingly stopped her bout against Turkey’s Erivan Barut in the first round.
The stoppage was unjustified and has shocked boxing fans in Africa. The Kenyan had not been hurt or shaken by any of Barut’s punches.
Igarashi’s controversial stoppage left Ongare in tears, cursing the referee in what she described as the most painful moment in her boxing career.
Boxing analysts have called upon the International Boxing Association to advice their referees to avoid such hasty stoppages much as the health of the boxer is of paramount importance.
Flyweight Lencer Akinyi is one of the three Kenyan boxers who’ll be making their international debut in Serbia.
A naturally good dancer, she says she’s not scared of any opponent in Serbia and will dance her way to the medal bracket.
“Kama mbaya ni mbaya, kwani hao walami madem wako na nini sisi hatuna, tutapelekana nao,” says Lencer, a product of Boxgirls , a community based organisation that uses boxing to empower the girl child with life skills.
Lencer says she will use her long reach effectively…don’t miss her captivating story in boxersworld.co.ke as African women boxers prepare for the most prestigious boxing tournament.
It’s going to be 🔥fire for 🔥fire!!!!…Go! Go! Lencer
Natasha Jonas: Katie Taylor is the fight that’s personal, but I’ve got to get past Lauren Price
Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price fight to unify the WBC, IBF and WBA welterweight world championships on Friday March 7, watch live on Sky Sports; the all-British Jonas vs Price clash headlines a major all women’s boxing bill at the Royal Albert Hall.
Natasha Jonas is determined to beat Lauren Price and then fight for an undisputed world championship next. But Jonas would take that undisputed fight at welter or super-lightweight, and could have an established rival at either weight.
The fourth world title at welterweight, the WBO belt, is held by Mikaela Mayer, whom Jonas edged out on a tight decision last year.
Mayer boxes Britain’s Sandy Ryan later this month and the winner of that fight would be a natural opponent for the Jonas-Price victor.
But Katie Taylor, whom Jonas boxed in the 2012 Olympic Games and later in a professional world title fight, is the undisputed world champion at super-lightweight.
Jonas would move down in weight for a Taylor fight. She told Sky Sports‘ Off Limits: “I think the fight that’s personal is Katie. Beat Lauren and whoever comes next – Mayer and Ryan are fighting, whoever wins that fight, that’s for undisputed for us then.
“Or go and fight Katie for undisputed. The two options are undisputed after that fight. Then that’s pretty much me [done]. But I’ve got to get past Lauren first.”
Joe Gallagher, who trains Jonas, is confident the Liverpudlian will indeed get past Price, even though the Welsh world champion is a gifted Olympic gold medallist.
“If you look at what Lauren brings to the table, if you look at her background and pedigree and the fighters she’s fought, and the tools that she brings to the table, her catalogue of punches,” Gallagher told Sky Sports.
“And then you look at Natasha Jonas and the people that she’s been in with and her catalogue of punches and shot selection – you [think] everyone’s getting caught up in the hype here a little bit.”
He insists this fight will not be Jonas ‘passing the torch’ to Price. “That’s not the case. We’re not going away quietly. We’ve been in this position before, like with Terri Harper and we’ve come back,” Gallagher said. “There’s no pressure on Natasha, it’s all on Lauren.
“Here we are 2025 and she’s putting herself on the frontline again,” he continued. “Lauren’s going to bring the best out of Natasha again. Lauren does things that we feel we can capitalise on.
“It gets real,” he warned Price.
Even though Jonas has been a unified world champion at super-welterweight as well as welterweight, Gallagher points out that she can move down another weight class. “Her real true fighting weight is either 135 or 140lbs,” he said of the Liverpool star.
“So what she’s done and what she’s achieved is unbelievable.”
Watch Natasha Jonas fight Lauren Price at the Royal Albert Hall live on Sky Sports on Friday March 7.
NIGERIA AMONG SIX AFRICAN COUNTRIES IN WORLD BOXING
Nigeria Boxing Federation board member Olalehin Adura (far left) with some members of the national boxing team. Adura, who is also a coach, says Nigeria has officially joined World Boxing, and that plans are underway to form an African boxing body affiliated to WB.
Nigeria will not take part in IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships because they’ve now officially joined World Boxing body.
The populous West African country is one of the six African members of World Boxing which has been given provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“We’re now officially with World Boxing so we can’t take part in the World Championships in Serbia,” a board member of Nigeria Boxing Federation Olalehin Adura told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview from Lagos, Nigeria.
In addition to Nigeria, other African countries in WB are Algeria, Egypt, Gambia, Madagascar and Malawi.
Olalehin Adura
“I’m appealing to other African countries to join us in World Boxing if they want to take part in the Olympic Games,” said Adura.
“We’re still working on getting more members from Africa, once we have at least 15 we’ll be in a better position to form an African boxing body affiliated to World Boxing.”
He explains why Nigeria decided to move out of IBA to join WB.
“We joined World Boxing to protect the dreams and future of our upcoming boxers, especially their chances of competing at the Olympics.
“This is a newly formed association, and we are just getting started. Right now, our priority is to focus on saving the sport of boxing itself from being excluded from the Olympics , not the immediate benefits for the athletes. The athletes’ benefits will come later once the sport is stabilized and secured.”
Adura is a former Nigerian international boxer, and won a silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He is a representative of Southwest region in the Nigerian boxing federation board which has six states namely Ondo, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti.
World Boxing was formed on April 13, 2023 to ensure boxing remains in the Olympic Games after a fallout between IOC and IBA. So far 78 countries have joined World Boxing. Asia leads with 24 countries in WB, Europe 23, Americas 18, Oceania seven and Africa six.
Tanzania's Yusuf Changalawe (left) battles DR Congo's Pita Kabeji in IBA Champions' Night card in Addis Ababa in 2024. Changalawe outpointed Kabeji, and is now set for his second Champions' Night fight in Moscow on Friday
TANZANIA, GHANA BOXERS IN FRIDAY’S MOSCOW IBA CHAMPIONS NIGHT CARD
Yusuf Changalawe and Aminu Quarshie in tough fights against Russian boxers
Tanzania’s Yusufu Changarawe (1-0) will be hoping for an upset as he takes on Russia’s Cheerav Ashalaev in the 80kg division in the IBA Champions’ Night card on March 7 in Moscow.
Ashalaev made his IBA Pro debut in Sochi last year, where he defeated Shadiri Musa Bwogi of Uganda by a unanimous decision. Changarawe also made his professional debut at IBA Champions’ Night, winning by split decision against Peter Pita Kabeji from DR Congo over eight rounds in Addis Ababa.
It was Changalawe’s first win over Kabeji who had defeated him twice. The DR Congo boxer cried foul saying he was robbed of victory.
“I’m very grateful to IBA for giving me another chance to fight in Champions Night bouts, I’m confident of victory” Changalawe told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview. He leaves tonight for Moscow with coach Ayubu Mwanga.
“IBA Champions Night fights are very useful to us boxers because we’re investing for our future,” said the Tanzanian boxer who will feature in a six-round fight.
“The money I earned in Addis Ababa I’ve put it into good use, I’m now in the process of building two houses, one house for own use and the one for business.”
Friday’s card will be headlined by a 12-round title fight between Albert Batyrgaziev from Russia and Argentinian Neri Ariel Cruz Romero.
Batyrgaziev will defend his WBA Interim Super Featherweight title against “El Maldito” Romero, as the Argentinian looks to extend his 18-match professional winning streak with two knockouts in his past three matches.
Batyrgaziev, who is also an undefeated professional boxer with 11 victories to his name, became the WBA title holder in July last year with a win over Ireland’s Jono Carroll, before beating Albert Pagara in the fourth round in October. In December 2023, he was victorious against the Cuban Lazaro Alvarez to become the first IBA Pro title holder.
In the opening contest of the evening, in the 71kg division, Ghana’s Aminu Quarshie (6-0-2) looks to remain undefeated against Russian Shokhabbos Shukurov (6-1-0). Shukurov previously defeated Jamshidbek Tojiboev at IBA Champions’ Night in Dushanbe in October 2023.
They told her women shouldn’t box. Now she’s Ghana’s first female world champion
When Abigail Kwartekaa Quartey decided as a teenager to become a professional boxer – an unusual choice for a young woman in a working-class neighborhood of Ghana’s capital of Accra – her family begged her to stop training.
Boxing is the pride of Jamestown, which is based around the fishing industry and also known for being home to many boxing stars. But like most sports in Ghana, boxing has often been seen as for men only, and women are discouraged from taking part.
But Quartey persisted.
And last year, at age 27, she became Ghana’s first female world boxing champion and the first woman to travel the world as a member of the West African nation’s national team.
“My aunts and siblings didn’t like it when I started boxing. They would come here to beg my coach not to let me become a boxer,” she said at the Jamestown neighborhood’s Black Panthers Gym where Quartey has been training since her teenage years.
But last November Quartey defeated British boxer Sangeeta Birdi in Jamestown’s main boxing area, winning the WIBF World Super Bantamweight title, crowds of friends and supporters from the neighborhood celebrated wildly, seemingly forgetting about the prejudice against female boxers.
Ghanaian media pronounced her win “history,” but Quartey is quick to point out that she is by no means the first female boxer in Ghana.
“There were women in boxing before I ventured into boxing,” she said. But they weren’t allowed to travel outside the country, she added.
Quartey’s long road to this spectacular victory highlights the many challenges that female athletes in African countries face in their careers.
Quartey grew up in Jamestown and, as a teenager, sold rice with her aunt to help the family make ends meet. The only people who supported her boxing dream were her brother, a fellow boxer, and her coach.
In 2017, she stopped boxing and started selling lottery tickets to earn money. It took a lot of convincing from her coach to get her back into the ring in 2021. She could not afford a manager, and feared she would not make it without one.
In Ghana, she said, “female boxers do not receive much support and it is difficult to keep training.”
Big deal’ for everyone
Sarah Lotus Asare, a boxing coach and the project lead for the Girls Box Tournament, said Quartey’s world title meant a lot for all boxers in Ghana.
“Even for the male boxers, when they fight with non-Africans, it’s very difficult for them to win, because they have a lot more facilities and equipment than we do,” she said.
Quartey’s title is “a big deal for her, the gym, the community, Ghana, Africa and the world at large,” said her coach, Ebenezer “Coach Killer” Adjei, as he watched her train during an afternoon session at the Black Panthers Gym.
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But for Quartey, what counts the most is the impact on young women from her neighborhood.
She wants more women to become professional athletes.
“I am a world title holder and that confirms that what a man can do, a woman can also do,” she said.
Training next to her was 18-year-old Perpetual Okaijah, who said her family had also tried to dissuade her from going to the gym, arguing that it was for men only. But she has kept on coming anyway.
“I look up to Abigail because she’s a very tough girl,” she said. “She inspires me, shows me the right thing.”
Invitation and guide for participants to the OMAR BONGO ONDIMBA boxing challenge in Libreville, Gabon from May 30 to June 11, 2025
To all national federations
Subject: Invitation to the OMAR BONGO ONDIMBA Challenge 2025
Dear Presidents and Secretaries General,
The Gabonese Boxing Federation is organizing the “OMAR BONGO ONDIMBA Challenge” from May 30 to June 11, 2025 in honor of the former President of the Republic whose international influence marked African and world history.
On this occasion, our federation has the honor and pleasure of inviting you to take part in this international competition.
Gabon, our country, will be very happy to count you among the participants in this great mass of world boxing.
The local organizing committee is at your entire disposal for all useful information.
Welcome to Libreville, the capital of conviviality and legendary hospitality.
Please accept, Mr. Presidents / Secretaries General, the expression of our distinguished greetings.
Two-time Africa light-middleweight champion and world silver medallist Alcinda Dos Santos (right) was one of the 10 Mozambican gold medallists in the Zone 4 Boxing Championships which ended in Maputo on March 1.
MOZAMBIQUE RETAIN ZONE 4 BOXING TITLE IN MAPUTO
▪️Alcinda, Gramane and Sigauque among 10 Mozambican gold medallists.
Two-time African champions Alcinda Dos Santos and Rady Gramane roared at home as Mozambique retained Zone 4 Africa boxing title in Maputo on Saturday, March 1.
The two Mozambican boxing glamour girls won gold medals in their respective weight categories. Alcinda defeated Eswatini’s Lindelwa Fakundze in the finals at light-middleweight while middleweight Gramane beat compatriot Rabia Pedro.
Not to be outshone by his female compatriots, African Games featherweight silver medallist and 2022 African champion Armando Sigauque beat Lesotho’s Toka Litabe to win a gold medal.
Mozambique finished on top with 10 gold, five silver and three bronze medals. Eswatini placed second 5-3-8 followed by Botswana 2-2-3, Lesotho 2-1-5 and wooden spoonists Seychelles 1-1-0.
