This archive report was first published on 19 August 2019.
Published on August 19, 2019
Kenya's female boxers are set to make their mark on the international stage as the country prepares to send a full squad of 10 boxers to the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Women World championships in Ulan Ude, Russia, from October 2 to 14.
The team and officials will be announced on September 15, marking a significant milestone for the Boxing Association of Kenya (BAK), which is planning to send its largest-ever team of female boxers for an international assignment.
According to John Waweru, BAK's competition secretary, the decision to send a full squad is motivated by the success of World Boxing Council (WBC) World super bantamweight champion Fatuma Zarika in the professional ranks.
"Zarika may be a lone ranger, but many upcoming boxers are motivated by her sterling performance in the ring, and that's why BAK wants to send a full squad of women boxers to give them exposure," Waweru said.
The African Games, which started on Tuesday in Rabat, Morocco, will see Kenya represented by four female boxers: Christine Ongare (flyweight), Everlyne Akinyi (lightweight), Lorna Kusa (welterweight), and Elizabeth Akinyi (middleweight).
Waweru noted that the cash reward Ongare received after winning a bronze medal in last year's Commonwealth Games has changed the mindset of female boxers in the country, with many now realizing that they can earn a living in the ring.
Majority of Kenyan boxers are drawn from low-income areas such as Mathare, Huruma, and Dandora in Nairobi's Eastlands, and the newly elected boxing administration is keen on revamping boxing by taking it to the grassroots through the "boxing mashinani" program.
Many teams in the Kenya National Boxing League are encouraging women to join them, with 22 women participating in the first leg in Nakuru and 19 women participating in the Kenya Open in Mombasa.
