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Algeria Surpasses Kenya to Lead Africa’s Olympic Boxing Medal Count

Imane Khelif’s gold medal victory at the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games has propelled Algeria to the top of Africa’s Olympic boxing medal chart.

Representing the continent, 23 boxers (17 women and 6 men) from 10 countries competed, securing two medals—a gold and a bronze—from the 52 available (13 gold, 13 silver, and 26 bronze).

Algeria’s Imane Khelif, competing in the women’s Welterweight (66kg) division, made history by becoming Africa’s first female boxing medalist and clinching her country’s second Olympic gold. Overcoming a heated gender debate, Khelif defeated China’s reigning world champion Yang Liu by unanimous decision, with all five judges scoring each round 10-9 in her favor at the iconic Roland Garros stadium.

The first Algerian to win an Olympic boxing gold was Hocine Soltani at the 1996 Atlanta Games, marking the continent’s second gold in the sport. Khelif’s victory now makes it three.

In the Flyweight (51kg) category, David Pina from Cape Verde claimed bronze, earning his country’s first-ever Olympic boxing medal and adding to the list of African nations with Olympic boxing honors.

As we delve into the history of Africa’s Olympic boxing achievements, excluding South Africa’s apartheid-era records, it’s essential to highlight the continent’s first Olympic gold in boxing, won by Kenya’s Robert Wangila.

To date, only 13 African nations have secured boxing medals at the Olympic Games.

Algeria has emerged as Africa’s most successful Olympic boxing nation, with two gold and five bronze medals.

The late Robert Wangila, who worked as a truck driver for Kenya Breweries, made history by winning Africa’s first Olympic gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Wangila’s devastating second-round knockout of France’s Laurent Boudouani in the welterweight division remains a historic moment for the continent.

Wangila’s achievement is credited as Africa’s first Olympic boxing gold, as the six gold medals won by white South African boxers between 1920 and 1960 are often excluded from consideration due to the apartheid era in which they were won.

Kenya’s other Olympic boxing successes include the legendary Philip Waruinge, who secured a bronze in 1968 and a silver in 1972. Waruinge’s brother Sammy Mbogwa, along with Dick “Tiger” Murunga, Ibrahim “Surf” Bilali, and Chris “Bingwa” Sande, contributed to Kenya’s total of seven Olympic boxing medals, a remarkable achievement.

With Imane Khelif’s gold in Paris 2024, Algeria has now climbed to the top of Africa’s Olympic boxing rankings, boasting two gold and five bronze medals, surpassing Kenya, which holds one gold and six bronze medals. Nigeria follows in third place with three silver and three bronze, while Uganda is fourth with three silver and one bronze. Ghana rounds out the top five, led by Clement Ike Quartey, who won Africa’s first-ever Olympic medal in any sport with his silver in Rome 1960. Ghana’s other boxing medals include three bronze, won by Eddie Blay (Tokyo 1964), Prince Amartey (Munich 1972), and Samuel Takyi (Tokyo 2020). Overall, Ghana has five Olympic medals, with four in boxing and one in football.

These five nations are Africa’s top Olympic boxing powerhouses.

Moving down the list, Egypt holds the sixth position with one silver and two bronze medals. Cameroon is seventh with a silver and bronze, followed by Morocco in eighth with four bronze. Tunisia ranks ninth with two bronze medals, while Mauritius, Niger, Cape Verde, and Zambia are tied for tenth, each with one bronze.

In total, 13 African countries have won Olympic boxing medals to date.

Will we see new champions emerge at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics? The stage is set for more African nations to join this prestigious group of medal winners.

By Charles Jojo Sergius-Ephson, Communication Officer, Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF), for AFBC Communications

	Algeria’s Imane Khelif clinched the women’s Welterweight (66kg) title, becoming the first African female to win an Olympic boxing medal and securing her country’s, as well as the continent’s, third gold medal in the sport.
	Clement Ike Quartey, Light Welterweight Boxer (First African to win a medal at the Olympic Games in any sport, Rome 1960).
	Robert Wangila – The first African to win Olympic boxing gold, Seoul 1988.
	Samuel Takyi – Featherweight, Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist. Africa’s only boxing medalist and Ghana’s sole Olympic medalist in 29 years.

Countdown to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games: July 27 – August 10

Kenya Tops Africa’s Olympic Games Boxing Medal Chart

As the boxing competition kicks off today with Africa being represented by 23 boxers (17 women and 6 men) from 10 countries, we chronicle the records and history of the continent’s medal winners at the Olympic Games, excluding South Africa’s apartheid-era records.

Kenya’s Boxing Prowess

Kenya stands as Africa’s most successful nation in Olympic boxing, boasting one gold, one silver, and five bronze medals. The late Robert Wangila, a truck driver with Kenya Breweries, secured Africa’s first-ever gold medal in boxing at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Wangila delivered a stunning knockout against Frenchman Laurent Boudouani in the second round of the welterweight division.

Historical Context

Wangila’s triumph was historic, marking him as the first African boxer to win an Olympic gold medal. Notably, the six gold medals won by white South African boxers between 1920 and 1960 are often excluded from records due to the apartheid era, reinforcing Wangila’s status as Africa’s pioneering Olympic gold medalist in boxing.

Other Kenyan Boxing Legends

Kenya’s Olympic boxing legacy includes Philip Waruinge, the first Kenyan boxer to win an Olympic medal. Waruinge claimed a bronze at the 1968 Olympics and a silver in Munich in 1972. Additional Kenyan boxing heroes include:

– Sammy Mbogwa
– Dick “Tiger” Murunga
– Ibrahim “Surf” Bilali
– Chris “Bingwa” Sande

These athletes contributed to Kenya’s impressive total of seven Olympic boxing medals.

Africa’s Boxing Medalists

To date, only 12 African countries have won boxing medals at the Olympics. The standings are as follows:

1. Kenya: 1 gold, 1 silver, 5 bronze
2. Algeria: 1 gold, 5 bronze
3. Nigeria: 3 silver, 3 bronze
4. Uganda: 3 silver, 1 bronze
5. Ghana: 1 silver, 3 bronze

Ghana’s Boxing Achievements

Ghana’s notable boxing accomplishments include:

– Clement Ike Quartey (Silver, Rome 1960) – Africa’s first-ever Olympic medalist in any sport
– Eddie Blay (Bronze, Tokyo 1964)
– Prince Amartey (Bronze, Munich 1972)
– Samuel Takyi (Bronze, Tokyo 2020)

In total, Ghana has won five Olympic medals, with four in boxing and one in football.

Other African Boxing Nations

Below the top five, other African nations with Olympic boxing medals include:

– Egypt: 1 silver, 2 bronze
– Cameroon: 1 silver, 1 bronze
– Morocco: 4 bronze
– Tunisia: 2 bronze
– Mauritius, Niger, Zambia: 1 bronze each

Looking Forward to Paris 2024

As we anticipate the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, we hope to see new African winners join this prestigious group of countries that have won Olympic boxing medals.

Chronicle by:
Charles Jojo Sergius-Ephson
Communication Officer of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF)
For: AFBC Communications

CLEMENT IKE QUARTEY, Boxing Light Welterweight (1st African to win medal at the Olympic games in any sporting event, Rome – 1960).	ROBERT WANGILA -the first ever Olympic gold boxing winner – Seoul, 1988.	SAMUEL TAKYI – Featherweight, Tokyo 2020 hero, bronze medalist. Africa’s only boxing medal winner & Ghana’s sole medal winner after 29 years at the Olympic games.

In the buildup to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Ghana’s esteemed national boxing ensemble, the Black Bombers, is intensifying its efforts to secure coveted berths at the upcoming 2nd World Qualifying Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand. Scheduled from May 22nd to June 2nd, 2024, at the Indoor Stadium, this tournament presents a pivotal opportunity with 51 slots up for contention, split between 28 for men and 23 for women.

Having faced setbacks in previous qualifiers held in Senegal and Italy, the forthcoming Bangkok event stands as the definitive battleground for the Black Bombers to clinch their tickets to the global spectacle.

Bolstered by the backing of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), the boxers have been rigorously preparing. Since April 3rd, they’ve engaged in a specialized non-residential training regimen at the Accra Sports Stadium. Subsequently, a ten-day residential camp in Accra precedes their departure for the Bangkok challenge.

Among the selected pugilists are Ornella Sathoud, competing in the women’s Middleweight (-75kg) category, alongside UK-based talents Hanina Rexford Cofie (light Middleweight -71kg), Theophilus Allotey (flyweight -51kg), Amadu mohammed (featherweight -57kg), Joseph Commey (Light Welterweight ), Henry Malm (light Middleweight -80kg) and Mark Kodjovi Ahondjo (Super Heavyweight -92kg+). They will be joined by four locally-based fighters for the final push in the Thai capital.

However, an unexpected development emerges as Samuel Takyi, celebrated hero of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, opts out of the team, electing to pursue aspirations in the professional realm. Takyi, who transitioned to the professional circuit following Tokyo, boasts an impressive record of four consecutive wins, all via knockout. Despite his absence, the Black Bombers remain resolute in their pursuit of Olympic glory.

Boxing holds steadfast as Ghana’s premier avenue for medal success in major international competitions. Notably, the nation has secured five Olympic medals since its inaugural participation in 1952, with boxing accounting for four of them. These include Clement Ike Quartey’s Silver in the Welterweight category at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Eddie Blay’s Bronze in the Middleweight division at the 1964 Tokyo and 1972 Munich Games, and Samuel Takyi’s Featherweight bronze at Tokyo 2020.

Compiled by Charles Jojo Sergius-Ephson, Communication Officer of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF).

BLACK BOMBERS

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Boxing Hall of Famer Azumah Nelson asserts he will spare no effort when he steps into the ring to face the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, in an exhibition match scheduled for May 4 at the Bukom Boxing Arena.

The exhibition bout is set for Saturday, May 4, at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, marking a significant highlight of the EU Month celebrations slated for May. The event, titled “Diplo Rumble: Empowering Youth Through Sports,” features an 11-fight card, with Azumah Nelson headlining the three-round exhibition catchweight bout against Razaaly, alongside other matchups including his son, Dalvin, and nephew, Mohammed Ablor, a juvenile boxer.

Speaking at the event launch in Accra on Sunday night, Azumah expressed his enthusiasm for participating in the match, citing the platform it provides for young boxers to showcase their talents.

He stressed the importance of discipline in boxing, highlighting Ghana’s potential to produce more world champions given the right dedication and values.

“There is no need to use drugs or be reckless in this sport. We have a lot of world champions, but you need hard work, respect, and humility; then you see where God will take you,” Azumah Nelson said.

Regarding his upcoming bout with the Ambassador, Azumah hinted at a decisive victory, urging spectators to arrive early to catch the action.

“For my fight with the ambassador, I want everybody to come early because all of you know how I do it,” he said.

Ambassador Razaaly, born in Antananarivo, Madagascar, has an amateur boxing background from his native France growing up, shared his excitement for the event and praised Ghana’s sportsmanship, particularly in boxing.

He hoped that the exhibition would contribute to nurturing future Ghanaian boxing talents while celebrating the EU’s commitment to youth development in Ghana.

He was hopeful that the event would provide the opportunity to nurture the next generation of Ghanaian boxers as well celebrate the commitment of the EU to the development of Ghanaian youth.

Another eye-catching fight on the night will see Dalvin Nelson fight on the same bill as his legendary father for the first time when he faces Philip Quansah at lightweight. Kelvin Addy will lock horns with Kelvin Amartey in a light flyweight clash, African Games bronze medalist Theophilus Kpakpo Allotey will clash with Nii Noi Dowuona in a flyweight matchup, Stephen Armah versus Wisdom Barnor (who represented the Republic of Liberia) will fight in a bantamweight contest, Israel Commey will meet David Ankrah at light welterweight, Henry Malm and Rexford Cofie will fight at light middleweight, Jonathan Tetteh will engage Benedict Badu at light heavyweight, and Sara Apew will clash with Janet Acquah in the only female contest.

Ticket prices start at GHS 5, with the fights starting at 5 pm with two bouts in the juvenile category featuring social media sensation Prince “The Buzz” Larbi facing Desmond Papoe and Azumah’s junior sister’s son, Mohammed Ablor, going against Wesley Ayibontey.

Story by: CHARLES JOJO SERGIUS-EPHSON (Communication Officer of the Ghana Boxing Federation – GBF)

GBF MEDIA

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The event themed “DIPLO RUMBLE” as part of the celebration of the 2024 European Month, is aimed to showcase the boxing talent of the young athletes in the Bukom and its environs to promote Youth Empowerment through sports.

As a commitment to harnessing the skills and talents of the youth,there will be 10 other bouts involving Juveniles,Youth and Elite Amateur Boxers with the Ghana Boxing Federation(GBF) as the main partner.

The Ambassador who was born in Antananarivo – Madagascar, was once an amateur boxer in his youthful days in his native France.

Below are the full pairings for the 4th May showdown at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra (5:00pm to 9:00pm).

By:
(Charles Jojo Ephson, Communication Officer – GBF)
GBF MEDIA

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In a strategic move, Ghana has decided to withdraw from the upcoming Mandela African Boxing Cup tournament, scheduled to commence in Durban, South Africa on April 15. This decision comes as the nation sets its sights on the 2nd World Olympic Qualification tournament set to take place in Bangkok, Thailand from May 22 to June 2.

Following in the footsteps of Zambia, who cited financial constraints for their withdrawal, Ghana’s departure marks the second country to opt out of the prestigious event. Charles Jojo Sergius-Ephson, the Communication Officer of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF), elucidated that the federation’s primary focus is on channeling resources towards preparing their athletes for the impending Olympic Qualifiers.

In correspondence with AFBC Communication, Jojo stated, “The priority is to prepare our boxers with the limited resources available for the upcoming Olympic Qualifiers in Bangkok, Thailand.” He further disclosed that Ghana will be represented by a contingent comprising six male boxers and one female athlete, the US-based middleweight Ornella Sathoud, weighing in at 75 kilograms.

Jojo highlighted the financial strain caused by the timing of the Mandela tournament, especially following the substantial expenditure incurred during the African Games in Accra. Expressing a sentiment of timing, Jojo remarked, “They should have staged the Mandela Cup after the Olympics in September or October.”

Accompanying the statement was a photograph featuring Ghana’s US-based female middleweight, Dr. Ornella Sathoud, in a previous tournament, underscoring the nation’s commitment to international sporting endeavors.

📸 Photo courtesy: Ghana’s US-based female middleweight Dr. Ornella Sathoud (left) in a past tournament

✍🏼 AFBC Communication

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Samuel Takyi’s ascent from a budding athlete to a double medalist on both the global and continental platforms serves as a testament to the unwavering force of determination and relentless hard work. With an Olympic bronze medal from Tokyo 2020 and a gold medalist title at the 13th African Games Boxing held in Accra, Ghana, in March 2024, Takyi has solidified his position as Africa’s sole boxing medalist. His journey underscores the transformation of dreams into tangible achievements, inspiring generations to turn their aspirations into reality.

#DreamsToReality

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BLACK BOMBERS

MBIYA STOPS BONGCO
▫️ The DRC boxer makes his intentions clear
▫️ Ghana reap big in day 2 as Tshama, Albino beaten

Africa light-middleweight champion Mbiya Kulenguka (pictured) stopped South Africa’s Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Simnikiwe Bongco in the first round as hosts Ghana reaped big in Day 2 of African Games boxing tournament at the Bukom Arena in Accra on Saturday (March 16).

It was not a good day in the office for medal prospects, middleweight David Tshama of DRC and heavyweight Albino Gabriel of Mozambique both of whom kissed goodbye to the Games after losing their fights.Tshama, a gold and silver medallist in the Africa Championships, was beaten by Morocco’s Yassine Elourz while Albino went down on points to Gabon’s Mouandat Njinnou.

Bongco proved no match for Kulenguka who overpowered him, forcing the referee to step in at 40 seconds of the first round. Bongco is gradually becoming Kulenguka’s customer as this is the second time he has lost to the DR Congo boxer.

The light-middleweight is shaping up into a tightly contested division with 2022 Africa champion Hamza Barbari of Morocco and Mozambican Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Tiago Muxanga winning their bouts. Barbari outpointed Nigeria’s Ibrahim Yakubu and Muxanga hammered Mangue Obama from Equatorial Guinea 5-0.

Hosts Ghana made no secret about their intention to win the Africa Games overall team title for the first time when four boxers won their fights.

Bantamweight Amadu Mohammed, flyweight Theo Allotey, lightweight Joseph Commey and light-middleweight Henry Malm were Ghana’s winners and brought smiles to the faces of the well attended show.

Mohamed KO’d Algeria’s Khalil Litim, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Commeyvstopped Liberia’s Jeroson Barkin in the third round in the lightweight division, Malm outpointed Tunisia’s Hamza Ghazouani while flyweight
Allotey stopped Egypt’s Amr Eltafahny in the first round to set up his second encounter with Zambia’s showman Patrick Chinyemba who beat the Ghanaian last year in the World Championships in Tashkent. Chinyemba stopped Ethiopia’s Dawit Wibshet in the second round.

Botswana’s defending African Games flyweight champion Rajab Otukile Mahomed bowed out of the tournament when the referee stopped his fight against Fabrice Valerie of Mauritius following a cut above his right eye. Valerie now meets South Africa’s Lusizi Lubabala in the semi-finals. The Mzansi boxer saw off DR Congo’s Bakora Kalongo who refused to shake hands with Lubabala feeling he was robbed of victory.

East African boxers made their presence felt in Day 2 boxing with Uganda chalking up two wins. Kenya and Tanzania won one bout each.

Uganda’s two winners were the fast-rising featherweight southpaw Kasim Murungi and light-middleweight Muzamir Semuddu who KO’d Togo’s Holonou Akoudsan in the first round while Murungi stopped Timothy Williams of Liberia in the second round.

Kenya’s female bantamweight Amina Martha hammered Ghana’s Sarah Apew 5-0 and Tanzania’s lightweight Ezra Paul, making his debut in a major competition, stopped Mohamed William from Seychelles in the second round.

Tiny southern African country Eswatini suffered a big loss with the defeat of main hope, welterweight Thabiso Dlamini by Algeria’s Abdenacer Belarbi.

✍🏼 AFBC Communications

Get ready for the thrilling spectacle of the African Games, set to commence in Accra, Ghana, from March 14th to 23rd!

The anticipation mounts as the boxing draws are slated to be revealed today, kicking off with the technical meeting. A total of 213 skilled boxers, including 148 males and 68 females, representing 33 nations, have converged in Accra, Ghana, to vie for victory across various weight categories in the 13th Africa Games.

Tonight, March 13th, the excitement peaks as the African Games technical meeting and draws unfold at the esteemed Bokum Arena from 6pm to 8pm. With action poised to ignite from tomorrow, March 14th, athletes and spectators alike are primed for an electrifying showdown.

Each participating country may dispatch a maximum of two representatives to partake in this pivotal event. Organizers stress the importance of punctual attendance to ensure a seamless experience, with transportation arranged from the Athletes’ Village for added convenience.

Theo Lop

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Session B 16 Bout 384

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▫️ All 68 African boxers fail to qualify for the Olympics in Italy

Africa’s Paris Olympics campaign ended on a sour note with all the 68 boxers failing to earn one of the 49 available slots in the 1st World Olympic Qualification tournament which ends today in Busto-Arsizio, Italy.

The three female African boxers in action today (March 11) lost their fights.

Tunisia’s bantamweight Islem Ferchichi was the first casualty, beaten fair and square by Vietnam’s Vo Thi Kim Anh who dominated the three rounds for a convincing unanimous points victory.

Much was expected from Cape Verde’s Africa welterweight champion Ivanusa Moreira against Italy’s 2019 world silver medallist Angela Carini but the Italian remained in the driver’s seat winning each of the three rounds 10:9 for a 30:27 victory.

Nigeria’s Africa silver medallist Patricia Mbata was the most impressive among the three African boxers.

After losing the first round 10:9 points, Mbata rallied back strongly in the second round which she won 10:8 to lead 19-18 because of a point deducted from a warning on Polish 2014 Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Elzbieta Wojcik who bounced back to take the third round 10-9 to tie the scores at 28-28 points. In such a tie, the five judges decide the winner between the two boxers. With Wojcik winning two rounds, the pendulum tilted in her favour and was declared 5-0 winner.

Mbatia’s defeat marked a miserable end of the road to Paris for the 68 African boxers who took part in the Italy qualifiers. None of them qualified for the Paris Olympics.

All is not lost however for the African boxers. They still have another chance to try their luck in the 2nd World Olympic Qualifiers scheduled for Bangkok, Thailand, from May 23 to June 3. With most of the top boxers booking their Paris tickets in the continental and the Italy qualifiers, the Thailand qualifiers will be less competitive, giving the African boxers a leeway of making it to Paris.

So far, Africa has 18 boxers who’ve booked their Paris tickets after the Africa Olympic qualifiers last year in Dakar, Senegal.

Algeria leads with five qualifiers followed by Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria with three each. Tunisia, Zambia, Mozambie and DR Congo have one each.

East Africa is anchored at the bottom without a single qualifier.

Biased decisions have been cited in the Italy qualifiers against some of the African boxers such as Angola’s Pedros Gomes who dropped a dubious 3-2 decision to China’s Ping Lyu and Tanzania’s Yusuf Changalawe whose suspicious 3-2 defeat to 4-time Norwegian champion Mindaugas Gedminas raised eyebrows among some African officials.

📸 Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata (left) in a previous fight. She was the most impressive among three female African losers in the quarter-finals on Monday, March 11, in the World Olympic Qualifiers in Italy.

✍🏼 AFBC Communications