Kenyans bag walkovers after resilient Mbithe stretches decorated champ
Kenya’s flyweight Veronica Mbithe (left) congratulates winner, Kazakhstan’s Alua Balkibekova, after their Round of 32 fight at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships at the Cair Sports Centre in Nis, Serbia, on March 9, 2025.
Mbithe said she learnt a great deal from the fight and was motivated by the fact that she lasted the distance against an experienced fighter.
“The fight motivated me… I’m very happy because I have now seen that these fighters are beatable after all.”
The judges from Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Serbia, and Cuba - namely Semlali Oumayma, Francisco Avila Prieto, Pompili Felice, Petkovic Maria and Wilfred Vasquez Calero - gave the Kazakh fighter a 5-0 decision (30:27; 30:26; 30:24; 30:27 and 30:27).
In Nis, Serbia
Kenyan boxers Lencer Akinyi and Pauline Chege are enjoying an extra day off after bagging walkovers following no-shows by their would be opponents on the second day of the 14th Women’s World Boxing Championships here on Monday.
