Kenyan boxers pick vital lessons from 2022 World Championships

When they left the country for the World Women Boxing Championships, their dreams were to land a few boxers in the medal bracket in Istanbul, Turkey.

This was after a successful trip to Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Africa Zone Three Boxing Championships where each boxer in a full team of 10 boxers came back with a medal.

Little did they know the global championship and continental tournament are two different competitions altogether.

Africa Zone Three light-heavyweight gold medallist Elizabeth Andiego was the only hope of Kenya getting into the medal bracket but she was knocked out in the quarter-finals by 2019 World Boxing Championships medalist Elis Guneri of Turkey on unanimous points. 

Andiego was the most experienced boxer in the Kenyan camp after featuring in three global championships.

Kenya had sent a full team of 10 boxers to the global championships.

And after the disastrous outing, the national boxing team shifts its focus to Commonwealth Games set for Birmingham, England from July 27 to August 8.

Commonwealth Games flyweight bronze medallist Christine Ongare who was the second boxer to bow out of the tournament after falling to former World Championships silver medallist Hannah Okhota of Ukraine said: “I have learnt a lot in the tournament and especially the opening match between Lorna Kusa against Ukraine’s Hannah Okhota.”

Okhota beat Kusa in the middleweight clash on points.

For Africa Zone Three light-welterweight gold medallist Teresia Wanjiru, the event has given them a lot of exposure compared to the continental tournament.

“This tournament has really been good for us and most importantly, we faced better boxers than us. We must work hard to beat them (skilled boxers) in future championships,” said Wanjiru.