Nigerian Queens Rule Nairobi With Three Boxing Golds
By AUGUSTUS ISICHEI
NIGERIA’S women boxers turned determination into medals in Nairobi, securing three golds and one silver at the 2026 African Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships in Kenya.
Ajishola Khadijat, Precious Anine and captain Blessing Orakwe led the charge with victories in their respective finals, while Patricia Mbata completed the women’s medal tally with a silver.
The golden run began with Khadijat’s impressive display in the women’s 51–54kg division. Facing Algeria’s Malak Noir E., the Nigerian delivered a dominant performance to win 5–0 by unanimous decision. Consequently, she gave Nigeria its first gold and set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Anine then kept the momentum going in the women’s 60–65kg final, overcoming Algeria’s Benane Djouher to claim another continental title. Her victory reinforced Nigeria’s growing influence in the women’s competition and moved the team closer to a memorable medal haul.
Yet Orakwe provided the most dramatic moment of the finals. The Nigerian captain stopped Kenya’s Akinyi Elizabeth in the first round of their women’s 75–80kg contest, bringing the bout to an early end and securing Nigeria’s third gold.
Her emphatic finish capped a remarkable outing for the team and underlined the value of a captain delivering when the stakes were highest.
Mbata came close to adding a fourth gold but settled for silver in the women’s 70–75kg category. She lost 3–2 to Egypt’s Aboelfead Nabila after a tightly fought contest that the judges decided by split decision.
Although Mbata missed out on the top prize, her run to the final ensured that Nigeria’s female boxers finished with four medals across the different weight divisions.
More importantly, the results marked a significant recovery for the Nigerian contingent after a difficult opening to the championship. The boxers responded to their early disappointments with stronger performances in the decisive bouts, converting their places in the finals into three gold medals.
That turnaround also supported the confidence expressed by Cross River State head coach Mary Obo Ekpo, who had predicted that Nigeria would secure multiple medals in Nairobi. The final results gave her optimism a solid competitive outcome.
For the Nigeria Boxing Federation, under President Adebayo Olawale Edun and Vice President Omonlei Yakubu Imadu, the performance offers encouragement as the federation works to strengthen Nigeria’s presence in elite boxing.
Nigeria’s success extended beyond the women’s finals. Raheem won silver in the men’s 65kg category, bringing the country’s overall return from the championship to three gold and two silver medals.
Ultimately, Khadijat, Anine and Orakwe emerged as the leading figures in Nigeria’s gold-medal campaign, while Mbata’s silver added further value to the team’s performance. Their achievements in Nairobi showed that Nigeria’s female boxers could overcome setbacks, rise to the demands of championship finals and deliver results on the continental stage.
