Duo achieves rare feat: Two female Kenyan boxers qualify for World Championships

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the road to olympics boxing championship trials Elizabeth Akinyi (in red jersey) of KENTRACK ABC trade punches with Media Muhatia (in blue jersey) of OKSA ABC in their middle weight women 75kgs category final bout during the road to Olympics boxing championship at the Modern Fitness Lounge, January 24, 2016. Akinyi won by points and was among those selected to represent Kenya. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

Boxers Shisoka and Akinyi to fight in global event in Hamburg, Germany.

Two Kenyan female boxers, flyweight Christine Shisoka and middleweight Elizabeth Akinyi, have qualified for the World Boxing Championships in Hamburg, Germany.

They achieved the feat after they failed to get opponents in their quarter-final matches and automatically qualified for the semifinals in the ongoing African qualifiers in Congo Brazzaville yesterday.

Consequently, Akinyi is assured of a bronze medal after making it to the last four and will meet a Cameroonian opponent this week, according to head coach George ‘Foreman’ Onyango.

Shisoka is yet to know her opponent in the last four duel. All Kenyan male boxers qualified for the pre-quarterfinal matches after earning byes in their first matches, which raised hopes of making the continental team to the Global Championships in September.

Seven players were expected to compete last evening. They are fly Simon Mulinge (52kg), bantam Martin Oduor (56kg), light welter (64kg) Victor Odhiambo, welter Blackmoses Mathenge (69kg), light heavyweight (81kg) Elly Ajowi and super heavyweight Fred Ramogi (over 91kg).

Mulinge was to play Ngundi Dalvin Loic of Congo Brazzaville, Oduor was to take on Molwantwa George of Botswana, Odhiambo was scheduled to play Eloge Gedssi of Cape Verde, while Mathenge was to face Bolsek Abdelkadir of Morocco.

In another bout, Ajowi was to meet Aboubakar Nyondi of Cape Verde and Ramogi to face Kalonji Kadega Carlos of Democratic Republic of Congo.

Tomorrow, flyweight Shaffi Bakari will meet Kizza Joshua of Uganda.

On Thursday, heavyweight Tobias Okeyo will play the winner of the bout between Botta Daddy Conga of Congo Brazzaville and Christian Ndizi Tsoye of Cameroon.

National lightweight (60kg) champion Nick Okoth, who is ranked third in the continent by African Boxing Confederation (CAB), will play Rajad Narrisson Julian of Madagascar on Thursday.

Yesterday, coach Onyango said the morale is high especially after the qualification of the female boxers.

“We are ready to dismantle our opponents even though we do not want to underrate anyone,” he said.

John Kyalo will play Muziyo Denny of Zambia tomorrow in the middleweight (75kg).

Meanwhile, Boxing Association of Kenya (BAK) President John Kameta has sent the Kenyan contingent best wishes in the championships.

BAK Nairobi County Secretary Benjamin Musa also asked the squad to make the country proud.

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