Elizabeth Andiego’s controversial exit ends Kenya’s dismal World Boxing run

Kenya's journey at the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships came to a bitter end after veteran fighter Elizabeth Andiego suffered a controversial referee stoppage in her quarterfinal bout against China's Wang Xiaomeng. Andiego’s elimination sealed Kenya’s winless campaign in Nis, Serbia, leaving the boxing fraternity with tough lessons to ponder ahead of the next global event.
Kenya’s hopes at the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships came to an end after 38-year-old Elizabeth Andiego suffered a controversial quarterfinal loss to 23-year-old Wang Xiaomeng of China via referee stoppage in the lightweight category on Thursday afternoon in Nis, Serbia.
Andiego, who advanced to the quarterfinal after receiving a bye, came out aggressively, landing powerful punches in the opening seconds while Wang struggled to find her footing. However, Wang recovered to claim the first round after all five judges scored in her favour.
More To Read
The Kenyan fighter faced an uphill battle in the second round after being penalised for holding her opponent in the first. Despite matching Wang blow-for-blow, the Estonian referee stopped the bout in the final three seconds after Andiego failed to beat the count. The decision sparked protests from the Kenyan corner, with Andiego’s coaches arguing she was fit to continue the three-round contest.
Though eliminated under controversial circumstances, Andiego, competing in her fifth world championships after appearances in 2010, 2012, 2022, and 2023, will pocket $10,000 (Sh 1.3 million) in prize money. Event organisers waived a rule that requires fighters to win at least one bout to qualify for the payout.
Andiego’s defeat capped a disastrous campaign for Kenya, with all seven other fighters bowing out without a non-walkover victory.
On Sunday, Veronica Mbithe lost her light-flyweight bout to Kazakhstan’s Alua Balkibekova. Tuesday brought four more casualties as Amina Martha Faki (bantamweight), Cynthia Mwai (light-welterweight), Emily Juma (lightweight), and Friza Anyango (welterweight) fell to Russia’s Karina Tazabekova, Serbia’s Mil Miroslava Jedinakova, and Serbia’s Tamara Kubalova, respectively.
Lencer Akinyi (flyweight) and Pauline Chege (featherweight) exited on Wednesday after defeats to Serbia’s Dragana Jovanovic and Tajikistan’s Mijgona Samadova.
With this performance, Christine Ongare remains the only Kenyan to secure a non-walkover win at the global event, a feat she achieved in 2023. Kenya’s boxing fraternity now faces a tough reflection as they prepare for the next championships in 2027, with the host city yet to be determined.
Top Stories Today
- China-US tariff truce eases tensions, but with minimal impact on Africa
- Nairobi County admits building violations by city's high-rise buildings
- UDA to conduct repeat grassroots elections in Mombasa, Tana River on May 17
- Bobi Wine presses EU to act on Uganda’s human rights violations
- Winnie Odinga's EALA reality check reveals deeper crisis in regional legislature
- Kenyan court orders extradition of ex-Afghan deputy speaker wanted in US for drug trafficking
- WFP warns 52 million people face severe hunger crisis in West and Central Africa
- Deputy Governors seek constitutional changes to have clear mandates
- Funding shortfall leaves Somali women, children facing death
- City Hall to freeze accounts, auction properties over Sh50bn arrears
- Sh40.7bn budget shortfall threatens military recruitment, operations
- Kenya’s security at risk as regional instability grows, warns NIS boss
- Supreme Court Judge Ouko warns of eroding public trust due to case delays
- Palestine lifts ban on Al Jazeera's operations in Palestinian territories
- Kenya aims to quadruple tea exports to China by 2030
- KNEC announces July, August deadlines for 2025 CBC assessments
- Kenya, Dominican Republic seal pact to boost Haiti Mission support
- Clinical officers petition Senate over discrimination, delayed posting of interns
- CJ Koome urges collective action against rising gender-based violence cases
- NIS Chief admits Oromo Liberation Army occupying Kenyan territory