Six Kenyan boxers out of IBA tourney in Turkey

Kenya entered 10 boxers in the 12th edition of IBA Women’s World Championships which is taking place in Istanbul, Turkey having started in May 8 with its culmination set for May 20.

After day 3 of the elite tournament on Wednesday, six of Kenyan representatives have been bundled out.

They are light-middleweight Lorna Kusa, minimum weight Christine Ongare, flyweight Ann Wanjiru, featherweight Beatrice Akoth, middleweight Elizabeth Akinyi and light-welter Teresia Wanjiru.

The remaining four in the highly competitive tournament are bantamweight Amina Martha, lightweght Stacy Ayoma, welter Everlyn Akinyi (pictured) and light-heavyweight Liz Andiego, the warhorse in the team.

Andiego who is the Africa Zone Three Boxing Championships light heavyweight gold medalist cruised to the last eight without throwing a jab, thus enhancing her chances of reaching the lucrative medal bracket that for the first time comes with cash prizes in the tournament’s 20 years history.

Gold medalists will take home 100,000 dollars (Sh 10 million), silver medalists 50,000 dollars (Sh 5 million) and bronze medalists 25,000 dollars (Sh 2.5 million).

Being the most experienced boxer and the only one who has appeared in the global three times, Andiego is determined to reach the medal bracket if her sentiments before they jetted out to Turkey are anything to go by.

“We are determined to replicate our performance in the Africa Zone Three Championships in Kinshasa at the global championships, where we are out to win medals as well after rigorous training of twelve weeks,” she said.

No female boxer from Africa has reached the finals since the World Women Boxing Championships started in 2001.

Over 1000 boxers from 93 countries are fighting for 10 gold, 20 silver and 40 bronze medals in the two week-showpiece .

Africa is being represented by a total of 43 boxers from 12 countries with Kenya leading with 10 boxers followed by South Africa 8, Morocco 6, DRC 5, Algeria 4, Egypt, Mozambique and Senegal have 2 each while Burundi, Cape Verde, Mali and Sierra Leone have one each.

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