Female boxers of Nigeria have won three gold medals and one silver at the African Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday.
Ajishola Khadijat, Precious Anine and team captain Blessing Orakwe claimed the gold medals, while Patricia Mbata settled for silver as Nigeria recovered from earlier setbacks to finish strongly in the women’s finals.
Khadijat opened Nigeria’s gold-medal account in the women’s 51–54kg category, defeating Algeria’s Malak Noir E 5–0 by unanimous decision.
Anine followed with another victory over an Algerian opponent, Benane Djouher, in the women’s 60–65kg final to secure Nigeria’s second gold.
Orakwe delivered the most emphatic performance of the night, knocking out Kenya’s Akinyi Elizabeth in the first round of their women’s 75–80kg final to claim Nigeria’s third gold medal.
Mbata completed Nigeria’s medal haul with silver in the women’s 70–75kg category after losing 3–2 to Egypt’s Aboelfead Nabila in a closely contested final.
The results marked a strong response from the Nigerian contingent, which rallied on finals day to secure four medals.
The performance also reflected the confidence of the technical crew, including Cross River State head coach Mary Obo Ekpo, who had predicted that Nigeria would return from Nairobi with multiple medals.
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The Nigeria Boxing Federation, led by president Adebayo Olawale Edun and vice-president Omonlei Yakubu Imadu, welcomed the results as a positive sign for the sport.
The championships feature elite male and female boxers from across Africa competing for continental honours.
The National Sports Commission announced Nigeria’s medal haul in a statement issued on Friday and signed by Kola Daniel, special adviser on media to the commission’s director-general.
