Nairobi — Kenya’s Christine Ongare will be in action later Tuesday as she takes to the ring against Cameroon’s Christine Bengono Akoa in a minimum weight bout at the ongoing Africa Men and Women’s Boxing Championships in Yaounde, Cameroon.
Ongare will be keen to roar in Africa, after the disappointment of the Women’s World Boxing Championships in March this year in New Delhi.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist exited the competition after a first-round stoppage loss to Turkey’s Erivan Barut in their round of 16 tie.
The 29-year-old, who became the first Kenyan female boxer to win a medal at the Club Games, continues her quest for a first ever medal at the international stage.
Even as Ongare prepares to punch her way to the podium place, officials of the Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) were crying foul over last-minute changes to the preparing.
Communications officer at the federation, Duncan Kuria, said Ongare was initially given a bye to the semi-finals but this was changed with the addition of a Cameroonian opponent at the last hour.
“There were five boxers in Minimum weight. Apparently a Cameroonian boxer was added two days after conclusion of the official draw without our knowledge as Team Kenya. The only effect in the addition affects Kenya’s Christine Ongare who is now having to fight a Cameroonian in the quarter final when official draw had placed her in semi final where she was to fight a Moroccan Yasmine Muttaki,” Kuria said.
Other Kenyans who will be in action on Tuesday include Anthony Maina Kariuki who will face Nigerian Ridwan Ige (light welterweight); Bonface Maina Mugunde against Mauritius’ Merven Clair (light middle weight), Robert Okaka faces Cameroon’s Junior Totap (light heavyweight) as Peter Alwanga exchanges punches with another Cameroonian Arnold Drevet in the heavyweight category.
