Elizabeth Andiego, the esteemed silver medallist from the Africa Boxing Championships, triumphed with a gold medal at the Mandela Cup in Durban, South Africa.
Leading the ‘Hit Squad’, Andiego secured her victory through a unanimous decision against the formidable Rady Adosinda Gramane, who previously represented Mozambique in international competitions.
Kenya’s presence at the event was marked by only two boxers, Andiego and the Kenya Defence Forces’ welterweight champion, Friza Anyango. While Andiego celebrated her win, Anyango faced a challenging bout, being eliminated in the women’s welterweight semi-finals by Cape Verde’s Gomes Moreira.
Andiego remains focused on her goal to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her recent bout at the Mandela Cup was her first international competition since her defeat at the Olympics 1st World Qualification Tournament.
She looks forward to the second World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, as her next opportunity to secure her place at the Olympics.
Originally, the Boxing Federation of Kenya had planned to send a team of 14 boxers to the prestigious event, but financial limitations resulted in only two athletes being able to participate in this year’s Mandela Cup.
