The International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Boxing Championships Istanbul 2022 kicked off last Sunday with the opening ceremony with its Preliminary stages already kicked off yesterday (9th May).
The championship event which is hosted in Istanbul, Turkey is the 12th Edition and was slated to begin from 8th May (yesterday) to 21st May.
The IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 2022 were opened by IBA President Umar Kremlev, marking the start of two weeks of ground-breaking competition.
There are 310 athletes (boxers) from 72 countries and the IBA Fair chance Team. Belarusian and Russian boxers are not allowed to compete at the event after a ban as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
There are about 12 African countries scheduled to participate in the championship. These are Algeria, Burundi, Cape Verde, Congo DR, Egypt, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone and South Africa.
The women boxing event will be contested in 12 weight categories. Below is a table of the weight categories with details of the weight (in kilograms) range.
In each weight category, prize money will be awarded from Gold to Bronze winners (1st to 3rd). A Gold winner will earn $100,000(USD), Silver winner will take $50,000(USD) and a Bronze winner will take $25,000(USD).
With the opening ceremony done last Sunday in Instabul, the Preliminary stages began yesterday (9th May). South African Lethokuhle Sibisi set the ball rolling for the Africans but was unfortunate with a defeat to Estefani Almanzar de Leon of the Dominican Republic with the match ending in round two by a referee’s stoppage in the Bantamweight (52-54kg) category.
Lisa O’Rourke of Ireland was the most dominant boxer to win on points, triumphing unanimously with eight 10-8 scores against the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Mbabi Brigitte in the Light middleweight division making it two straight defeats for Africa.
In today’s matchups, Algeria’s Mansouri Fatiha will face Cadeno Rojas of Venezuela in the Minimumweight (45-48kg) division whiles Ongare Christine (Kenya) faces Okhota Hanna (Ukraine) in the same division.
In the same Minimumweight division, Morocco’s Mouttaki Yasmine will face Durikova Nicole from Slovakia whiles Dila Vuyolwethu of South Africa meets Siljkovic Snezana of Serbia.