The 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Kenya’s boxer Christine Ongare has been eliminated from the ongoing World Women’s Boxing Championship competition after losing to Turkey’s Erivan Barut in the first round.
The medallist left in tears as she narrated her controversial round of 16 exit from the IBA World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, India.
Ongare, who had hoped to reach the last eight of the championship, remained determined to win a medal in a future global championship despite the setback.
As a result, Ongare became the tenth Kenyan boxer to be knocked out of the event, leaving only team captain Elizabeth Andiego (light heavyweight) as the lone survivor.
According to Ongare, the referee’s calls were confusing and were mostly against her. She was not even aware when the bout was declared over, and she could not feel the punches from her opponent.
Despite her elimination, Kenya still has a chance to win a medal in the championship as the quarterfinals draw closer.
Elizabeth Andiego, who earned the Africa heavyweight silver medal and received a bye, is set to compete against Sholtay Fariza of Kazakhstan in the quarter-finals later today.
Africa will have six boxers in the quarterfinals, including Morocco’s Yasmine Mouttaki, who won her match against Spain’s Marta Lopez 4-0 in the minimumweight category. Mouttaki will join compatriot Khadija Mardi, Kenya’s Andiego, Algeria’s Ichrak Chaib, and Mozambicans Alcinda Panguane and Rady Gramane in the quarterfinals.
