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.
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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.
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