Two-time Africa champions Khadija Mardi, Alcinda Dos Santos, Rady Gramane and Pita Kabeji among the big names registered
Four two-time Africa champions, Pita Kabeji, Alcinda Dos Santos, Rady Gramane and Khadija Mardi (pictured left in action in Yaounde 2023) are among the boxers registered in the list of 31 countries that have so far confirmed participation in the 22nd edition of the Africa Elite Boxing Championships scheduled for DR Congo’s capital city Kinshasa from October 14-27.
The other top boxers registered include Ghana’s African Games flyweight bronze medallist Theophilous Allotey and Mozambican Tiago Muxanga, a losing finalist to DR Congo’s Mbiya Kulenguluka in last year’s Africa Championships in Yaounde, Cameroon.
DR Congo’s Pita Kabeji won gold in 2022 in Maputo, Mozambique and 2023 Africa Championships with points victories over Morocco’s Mohamed Assaghir and Congo’s Ngamissengue Mpi Anauel respectively.
Mozambican boxing glamour girls Alcinda Dos Santos and Rady Gramane will also be aiming for a treble in the continental showpiece in DR Congo. Alcinda defeated DR Congo’s Brigitte Mbabi in the finals at home in 2022 and last year retained her light-middleweight title by stopping Tanzania’s Grace Mwakamele in the first round in Yaounde while Gramane beat Algeria’s Djouher Benan in Maputo finals and won her second consecutive gold last year in Yaounde by decisioning Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata who has since then defeated Gramane twice at the African Games in Accra this year and in the IBA Champions’ Night series in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in August.
Morocco’s world heavyweight champion Khadija Mardi will not only be aiming for her third consecutive gold medal but also guiding Morocco in their overall title defence having clinched the top spot in Yaounde with eight gold, two silver and three bronze medals followed by DR Congo 5-6-4 and Algeria in third place 4-2-1.
The towering Mardi, who has proved to be invincible in Africa, first won the continental crown by outpointing Kenya’s Elizabeth Andiego in Maputo at light-heavyweight and retained her title in Yaounde outpointing DR Congo’s Mwika Marie-Joelle in the finals.
The 31 countries that have registered for this year’s Africa Elite Championships are Libya, Senegal, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Morocco, Angola, Somalia, Guinea, Madagascar, DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Comoros, Cameroon, Rwanda, Ghana, Congo, Gabon, Chad and Zambia, South Africa, Mauritius, Tunisia, Uganda, Cape Verde, Mali, Mauritania and Central African Republic.
DR Congo’s federation under the leadership of Ferdinand Ilunga Luyoyo is currently working round the clock to ensure hosting a successful tournament.
“We want to make it the best ever Africa Championships in the history of the event, and our government is fully supporting us of which we’re very grateful,” said Luyoyo who has worked tirelessly to turn around the fortunes of DR Congo, now among the top boxing nations in Africa.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) to President Umar Kremlev added more spice and flavour to Africa’s premier boxing tournament by introducing prize in the 2022 Maputo tournament in which gold medallists earned $10,000, silver $5000 and the two bronze medallists per weight division $2,500 each. The prize money was doubled at the Yaounde event last year with gold medallists receiving $15,000, silver $10,000 and bronze medallists $5000.
✍🏼 AFBC Communications