Light-heavyweight Elizabeth Andiego won Kenya’s first medal without throwing a punch in the Africa Boxing Championships in Maputo.
Andiego and three other boxers including world heavyweight silver medallist Khadija Mardi of Morocco are in the semis already because the berth attracted only four boxers after Monday’s draws.
Andiego is paired against South Africa’s Muriel Sithole while Mardi meets DR Congo’s Kambala Kanjinga in the other semi-final bout.
The Kenyan boxer is assured of $2,500 prize money in case she fails to make it to the finals. Gold medallists will pocket $10,000 and $5000 for silver medallists.
Kenya is represented by among others the lightweight gold medallist in the 2017 Africa Championships Nick “Commander” Okoth who is one of the defending champions in Maputo.
Okoth is one of the boxers in action today against Sudan’s Wadah Mahmoud while Botswana’s silver medallist in Brazzaville Rajab Otukile Mahomed battles Algeria’s Mohammed Moziane in the flyweight division which has attracted 10 boxers.
A total of 179 boxers – 121 men and 58 women – from 25 countries will start trading leather on Monday in the one-week Africa Championships in Mozambique.
ln what promises to be the most keenly contested ever championships, the battle lines are drawn between North African countries and Sub-Saharan African teams with hosts Mozambique all out to make an impression.
