Kenya’s rough ride at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Niš, Serbia, continued as multiple fighters exited early, missing out on guaranteed prize money.
Cynthia Mwihaki suffered a second-round stoppage in her light welterweight bout against Mexico’s Miriam Edith Gonzalez, with Cuban referee Wilfredo Calero calling the match after Mwihaki failed to withstand relentless blows.
In the lightweight division, Emily Kasyoka lost by unanimous decision to Slovakia’s Miroslava Jedinakova, while Friza Anyango was similarly outclassed by Slovakian Tamara Kubalova in the welterweight category, crashing out in the round of 16.
Martha Amina fought bravely in the bantamweight division but fell to Russia’s Karina Tazabekova, sealing a disappointing day for Kenya’s Hit Squad.
The defeats piled up on day three as Emily Juma and Cynthia Mwai were eliminated, while Amina Faki and Friza Anyango also fell to dominant opponents. Kenya’s woes began on day one when Veronica Mbithe became the country’s first casualty of the tournament.
Despite the setbacks, Kenya still has hope. Lencer Akinyi and Pauline Chege advance to the round of 16 after their opponents failed to show up. Akinyi faces Serbian Dragana Jovanovic in the flyweight category, while Chege battles Tajikistan’s Mijgona Samadova in the featherweight division.
Kenya’s biggest hope lies in Elizabeth Andiego, who is set to face China’s Wang Xiaomeng in the quarterfinals. A victory would guarantee her at least $10,000 (Ksh1.3 million), with the ultimate prize of $100,000 (Ksh13 million) for gold.
The Kenyan team remains in pursuit of its first-ever medal at the Women’s World Boxing Championships, a feat that has eluded them since their debut in 2012.
