Kenya’s participation in the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships is faltering, as both Pauline Chege and Lencer Akinyi faced elimination in the Round of 16. With seven of eight fighters out, only team captain Liz Andiego remains, vying for a place in the quarterfinals with significant prize money at stake. The team’s performance highlights ongoing challenges in the sport.
Kenya continues to face significant challenges at the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, as Pauline Chege and Lencer Akinyi were eliminated in the Round of 16 in Serbia. Their departure leaves team captain Liz Andiego as the lone representative for the nation, whose hopes for progression now hinge on her upcoming quarterfinal match.
On day four of the competition, Pauline Chege faced the formidable Mijgona Samadova, a bronze medalist from the 2022 Asian Games. The fight ended when the referee stopped the contest 66 seconds into the second round after Chege failed to recover from a dominant performance by Samadova, with judges scoring the bout 10-9, 10-9, 10-9, 10-8, and 10-9 in favor of the opponent.
Lencer Akinyi, competing in her first World Championships, endured an even briefer fight, as Serbian teenager Dragana Jovanovic rapidly overwhelmed her. The bout concluded due to a referee stoppage after just 102 seconds in the first round, marking a disappointing debut for Akinyi.
Both Chege and Akinyi advanced to the Round of 16 by walkover, with Chege moving past Montenegro’s Bojana Gojkovic and Akinyi benefiting from the absence of South Africa’s Thandolwethu Mathiba. Their eliminations follow previous departures of Amina Martha Faki, Cynthia Mwai, Emily Juma, Friza Anyango, and Veronica Mbithe, contributing to Kenya’s strikingly high elimination rate in this year’s competition.
With seven of the eight fighters eliminated, Liz Andiego remains Kenya’s sole competitor. Currently, she is competing in her fifth World Championships and has advanced to the light-heavyweight quarterfinals after receiving a bye. She will face China’s Wang Xiaomeng, who reached the quarterfinals after defeating Kazakhstan’s Gulsaya Yerzhan in the Round of 16.
If victorious, Andiego is guaranteed at least $25,000 in prize money. The overall prize pool for the tournament is approximately $2.88 million, with escalating rewards for medalists. Notably, gold medalists receive $100,000, while silver medalists earn $50,000. However, only those boxers who win at least one bout, whether through competition or walkover, are eligible for cash prizes according to tournament regulations.
Kenya is participating in these championships for the fifth time, having previously competed in 2010, 2012, 2022, and 2023. Thus far, Christine Ongare remains the only boxer from Kenya to achieve a non-walkover victory at the event, accomplishing this in 2023.
The Kenyan delegation in Serbia comprises leader David Muhuhe, coach Musa Benjamin, and team manager Gathoni Kinyua, with the competition concluding on March 16, 2025.
In summary, the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships have proven to be challenging for the Kenyan team, with only Liz Andiego remaining in contention after the elimination of Pauline Chege and Lencer Akinyi. The team’s hopes now hinge on Andiego’s performance in the quarterfinals, as the competition progresses with substantial prize money at stake. Kenyan boxing has a history in these championships, and the current performance underscores the need for strategic improvements in future tournaments.
Original Source: eastleighvoice.co.ke
