Ongare out of World Boxing Championship

Kenya’s Christine Ongare has been eliminated from the ongoing World Women Boxing Championship in New Delhi, India Tuesday afternoon.

Turkey’s European Under-22 minimumweight champion Erivan Barut stopped Ongare in the first round, ending her dream to reach the last eight of the Championship.

A tearful Ongare is not giving up on her mission to win a medal in a global championship.

"It was a confusing, the calls the referee made as soon as the fight started were against me. He kept on warning me, I did not even know immediately when the bout was declared over. I even did not feel the punches she landed on me... I know my fans are disappointed but I still ask for patience. I will keep marching until I win a medal in a foreign country," she said.  

Kenya’s hopes at the championship are now hinged on Captain Elizabeth Andiego only, whose quarter final bout against Fariza Shotley of Kazakhstan is set for Wednesday

All the other 10 Kenyan boxers have been eliminated, as the competition enters the last eight on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Morocco’s Yasmine Mouttaki punched her way to the quarter finals after beating Spain's Marta Lopez 4-0 in the minimumweight category, meaning that Africa will have six boxers in the last eight.

Yasmine joins compatriot Khadija Mardi, Kenya's Andiego, Algeria's Ichrak Chaib and Mozambicans Alcinda Panguane and Rady Gramane into the quarters.