Over 20 countries have arrived in Kinshasa for the Africa Elite Boxing Championships as East Africans look upon Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi to redeem their flagging fortunes in this continental tournament dominated by the North and Central African countries for the last 41 years.
Since 1983 when Kenya won the Africa Elite Boxing Championships in Kampala for the second time on the trot, no East African country has won Africa’s most glamorous boxing event.
Uganda, twice winners of the tournament in 1972 and 1974, topped the East Africans last year in Yaounde, finishing ninth overall with two silver and five bronze medals followed by Tanzania at number 13, Kenya 17th and Burundi 18th overall with a bronze by female flyweight Liliane Nshimirimana who won Burundi’s second medal in the Africa Championships after the first one – a silver by Ornella Havyarimana – in 2022 Africa Championships in Maputo.
Nshimirimana received a bye to the semi-finals, losing on points to the eventual gold medallist Reine Ngoune of Cameroon.
In Kinshasa, Burundi is represented by only two boxers, their star light-middleweight Nestor Nduwarugira and lightweight Muhamed Hatungimana. Ornella Havyarimana is unwell and will therefore miss the action in Kinshasa.
Kenya has landed in Kinshasa with 12 boxers, nine men and three women. Flyweight Faith Nafuna is the new cap in the women’s team while in men, minimumweight Silas Onyango, cruiserweight Chrispine Ochanda and super-heavyweight Clinton Macharia are the rookies making their international debut in the Kinshasa Africa Championships.
Skipper Boniface Mogunde leads Kenya’s assault hoping for a better performance than last year in Yaounde..
Tanzania will be represented by four boxers, light-middleweight Saidi Kanenda, bantamweight Zulpha Macho, light-welterweight Najma Isike and captain Yusuf Changalawe who won bronze in Yaounde with Grace Mwakalema making history as Tanzania’s first ever female medallist in the Africa Championships winning a silver medal. Changalawe might however not make it to Kinshasa. In case he fails to appear, he will be replaced by minimumweights, Ally Ngwandu or Miriam Maligisa.
With Algeria and Nigeria not in Kinshasa and Zambia represented by only two boxers, the battle for major honours will be between defending champions Morocco and hosts DR Congo who have played their cards close to their chests keeping everybody guessing on their line-up but today we will know who is who in the DRC team during the draws.
Countries expected to fight hard to spoil the party for Morocco and DR Congo are Cameroon, Senegal, South Africa, Mauritius and Kenya heavily banking on Boniface Mogunde, Robert Okaka and Elizabeth Andiego, Peter Abuti, Amina Martha and Shaffi Bakari.
While DRC has yet to announce its team for the tournament, some of the boxers likely to be in the team include minimumweight Benedicte Diyoka, flyweight silver medallist in Yaounde Nyembo Muamba, featherweight Matumona Mujinga, light-welterweight Mbaya Mulumba, Mandela Cup welterweight champion Brigitte Mbabi, light-heavyweight silver medallist Marie-Joelle Mwika, heavyweight champion Malewu Tekasala, welterweight gold medallist Malenga Zengala, light-middleweight champion Mbiya Kulenguluka, middleweight silver medallist David Tshama and two-time Africa light-heavyweight champion Pita Kabeji.
The draws will be conducted today evening, October 18 with the tournament getting underway tomorrow, October 19.
Countries to participate in the Africa Championships in Kinshasa:
1. DR Congo 🇨🇩
2. Morocco 🇲🇦
3. Kenya 🇰🇪
4. Guinea Bisaau 🇬🇳
5. Chad 🇹🇩
6. Somalia 🇸🇴
7. Ethiopia 🇪🇹
8. Tanzania 🇹🇿
9. Mali 🇲🇱
10. Angola 🇦🇴
11. South Africa 🇿🇦
12. Congo Brazzaville 🇨🇬
13. Cameroon 🇨🇲
14. Sierra Leone 🇸🇱
15. Namibia 🇳🇦
16. Comoros 🇰🇲
17. Tunisia 🇹🇳
18. Burundi 🇧🇮
19. Senegal 🇸🇳
20. Gabon 🇬🇦
21. Mauritius 🇲🇺
22. Madagascar 🇲🇬
23. Zimbabwe 🇿🇼
24. Mozambique 🇲🇿
25. Central Africa Republic 🇨🇫
Credit: AFBC Communications
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