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
