Andiego, Okoth, Njau go for gold in African tourney
Kenyan boxer Elizabeth Andiego trains at the National Exhibition Centre in West Midlands, Birmingham, on July 26, 2022, ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
What you need to know:
- The Kenyans are guaranteed some good monetary rewards after AFBC introduced cash awards for the first time in the event.
- Gold medallists will pocket Sh1.2 million, silver medallists will get Sh600,000 while bronze medallists will return home Sh300,000 richer.
Defending champion Nick "Commander" Okoth, Elizabeth Andiego and Samuel Njau face defining moments when they meet tricky opponents in their respective finals of Africa Boxing Confederation Championships on Saturday in Maputo, Mozambique.
Okoth will take on Andrew Chilata from Zambia in lightweight while Njau, the Africa Zone III champion, will battle home boxer Armando Rugoberto Sigauque in featherweight. The duo is from the Kenya Defence Forces.
Andiego has a daunting task against the lanky World silver medallist Khadija El-Mardi from Morocco in heavyweight.
Another Kenyan Boniface Mogunde from Kenya Police settled for bronze after he lost to Hamza El Barbari from Morocco in the semi-final of their light middleweight contest Thursday.
In 2017, Okoth handed Kenya its first victory at the continental event since 1994 championships in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Heavyweight boxer Omar Ahmed Kassongo was the only Kenyan winner at the South Africa event before Okoth’s exploits 23 years later.
Kenya’s best ever performances were in 1972 when Nairobi hosted the championships and when the extravaganza went to Kampala, Uganda in 1983.
The country won five gold medals from each of the events. Kenya also claimed four gold medals from the 1974 contest that was also staged in Kampala.
Okoth, the 38-year-old Olympian, who is making his third appearance at the continental event, stopped Algerian Walid Tarzout in the second round to advance to the gold medal match on Thursday.
Okoth unleashed some solid combinations as Tarzout tumbled to the canvas, dislocating his shoulder in the process. The referee then stopped the bout on medical grounds.
Andiego made short work of South Africa's Muriel Mkateko Sithole, stopping her in the first round to advance to the final. It is the first time Andiego was boxing in the heavyweight category and at the continental championships.
Andiego was forced to scale to heavyweight after her light heavyweight category attracted no other boxer.
El-Mardi, the African Games champion, also wasted no time against Kambala Kanjinga from the Democratic Republic of Congo, stopping her in the first round.
Njau deployed good tactics, keeping his opponent at the end of his gloves before going for the kill against Ben Banda from Zambia.
The Kenyans are guaranteed some good monetary rewards after AFBC introduced cash awards for the first time in the event.
Gold medallists will pocket Sh1.2 million, silver medallists will get Sh600,000 while bronze medallists will return home Sh300,000 richer.
