Kenya’s Ongare wins at World Women Boxing Championship in New Delhi, as Friza suffers Welterweight Bout Loss

Kenya’s Christine Ongare has secured a victory against Tanzania’s Rahma Maganga in their minimum weight fight at the ongoing World Women’s Boxing Championship in New Delhi, India. 

Ongare won after the referee stopped the bout in the second round.  This win was Kenya’s first in over a decade at the World Championship since Mary Muthoni’s win in 2010 in Barbados. 

Ongare dominated the match from the first round, landing successive right punches that forced the referee to give Rahma a standing eight count in the round, winning 5:0 by Ongare.

In the second round, Ongare increased her work rate and scored punches with clinical efficiency. A constant dose of accurate rights to the face forced the referee to wave it off to save the young Rahma from further punishment. 

Rahma was somewhat surprised as to why the referee stopped the fight. Ongare now advances to the pre-quarters and will face either Turkish U22 European light-flyweight champion Erivan Barut or Guatemala’s Dayana Gonzalez.

On the other hand, welterweight prospect Friza Anyango has voiced her disappointment and discontent with the decision made by the referee to stop her fight against Imane Khelif of Algeria at the ongoing World Boxing Championship in New Delhi, India.

 Friza disputed the decision made by the referee to end their welterweight bout in the second round. An early exchange between the two saw Khelif, reigning light welterweight, land accurate right punches that left Achieng scrambling for her guard.

“I am disappointed and heartbroken at the same time because I don’t understand why the referee stopped the fight. I had not been knocked out, and the game had just begun,” remarked Achieng. 

Head coach Benjamin Musa also said that the referee made a mistake in stopping the fight, adding that it was not warranted since Achieng had not been given an 8 standing count or a knockout, accusing the referee of bias.

While Friza was making her debut at the games, her Algerian opponent has stacked up experience in being a world championship silver medalist and reigning African light welterweight champion.