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Kenya sure of medal haul before a punch is thrown at Africa boxing championships
Kenya’s Hit Squad coach Benjamin Musa (left) takes welterweight boxer Friza Anyango through her paces at Police Depot Mathare in Nairobi on February 25, 2025.
What you need to know:
- The championships that have attracted 123 boxers -- 81 men and 42 women drawn from eight countries.
- The participating countries are Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Gabon, Cameroon, Ethiopia and the DRC.
Kenya is already assured of three silver medals before taking to the ring at the Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) Zone III Championships starting on Monday at Moi International Sports Centre, Indoor Arena.
Africa Military welterweight champion Friza Anyango and lightweight Emily Juma have been given byes to the final of their respective categories following the draw yesterday.
Africa Military Games light flyweight silver medallist Veronica Mbithe takes on Lenker Akinyi in an all Kenyan flyweight semis.
Late withdrawals and arrivals of countries forced the organisers to reschedule the start from yesterday to tomorrow with the weight spot check and technical meeting taking place on Sunday.
Anyango takes on Daniela Muleketsi Nsii from DRC while Juma will face off with the winner between Munga Zalia of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Tanzania’s Vumilia Twalib in the finals of the five-day boxing extravaganza.
Kenya’s Lorna Kusa, who claimed silver in light middleweight at the 2022 championships, will take on Tanzanian Rachel Peter Msengi for a place in the final of the light heavyweight contest.
African Games bronze medallist Amina Martha of Kenya is assured of at least a bronze medal after she was given a bye to the semi-finals of the bantamweight category.
Martha will slug it out with the winner between compatriot and protégé Sheila Auma and Roman Asefa Abate from Ethiopia.
123 boxers from eight countries
Kenya’s Olympian Elizabeth Andiego, who won light heavyweight in 2022, drops to middleweight where she will face Tanzanian Salma Michael Changalawe in the only semi-final.
The winner between Adiego, the 2022 Africa light heavyweight silver medallist, and Changalawe will square it out in the final with Congolese Mwamba Lulua.
Kenya’s Africa light middleweight champion Boniface Mugunde and compatriot Alvin Oduor are through to the semi-finals of the men’s light middleweight contest.
The championships that have attracted 123 boxers -- 81 men and 42 women drawn from eight countries, start at the quarter-finals stage on Monday.
The participating countries are hosts Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Gabon, Cameroon, Ethiopia and the DRC, who are the defending champions.
The daily fighting programme will run over two session, from 2pm to 6pm and from 7pm to 10pm. The semi-finals will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There will be a rest day on Thursday followed by 13 men’s finals and 12 women’s finals on Friday from 1pm.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) Technical Delegate Raj RajCoomar from Mauritius is pleased with Kenya’s preparations and the set up at Kasarani despite the withdrawals and late arrivals.
“Hosting the first international tournament in over two decades under such good conditions is commendable work,” said RajCoomar.
