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
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CLEMENT IKE QUARTEY, Boxing Light Welterweight |
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. |