Andiego "disappointed" to miss out on pro debut, urges promoters to feature more women in fights
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 02.03.26. | 13:07
The 39-year-old was on course to make her first appearance as a professional, but was made to wait after her opponent was deemed unfit to box
Kenyan veteran boxer Elizabeth Andiego says she is disappointed to have forgone her planned outing as a professional, but hopes to find another opportunity in the coming month.
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Andiego, 39, was on Friday, 27 February poised to feature in her first professional fight against Christina Raura, only for the Tanzanian opponent to pull out hours prior, due to what sources referred to as a “failed medical.”
Speaking exclusively to Mozzart Sport, the Olympian at the London 2012 Games said the message that her super middleweight fight had been cancelled came right after she had checked in at the venue - Masshouse, Nairobi - just two hours to when her bout ought to have begun.
“I feel disappointed not to have made my first pro fight,” Andiego, a 2022 Zone Three champion, said. “I was very excited to go out there and make a statement, but things did not go well.”
Asked about the communication that was made to her by her promoter - Kalakoda - Andiego said: “My opponent was unfit to box, and so there was no other way I could have fought. I just had to accept that and move on, but I was really ready to showcase my boxing skills.”
Andiego, who is the captain of Kenya's amateur boxing national team - Hit Squad - landed special dispensation to fight both as a pro and as an amateur, hoping to capitalize on a wider market to land more opponents.
“I switched to pro to get more fights, as my struggle with getting competition is well known by now,” the 2022 and 2024 Africa Championships silver medalist, whose last fight with a Kenyan woman was back in 2021 against Metrix Sagina in a light-heavyweight contest in the Jamal Cup, said.
“With this chance gone, I hope to land another fight maybe in the next month or so,” Andiego, whose contract with Kalakoda is set to see her fight at least four times this year, added.
Andiego’s duel with Raura had been the only women’s contest under the “Nightmare in Nairobi II” card, but with it cancelled, meant no female boxers got a chance to feature in the seven fights that evening.
“This was a very good opportunity to show that women too can box,” Andiego said of her cancelled fight, which was scheduled to be the second on the programme, spanning four three-minute rounds. “The excitement was there to show what Liz is all about, and to showcase myself as a woman pro boxer. I feel disappointed for all the fans who came out, but did not get a chance to see that.”
Serving as a replacement for the cancelled bout, Kalakoda installed a super bantamweight contest between upcomers Victor Njoroge and Omar Karanja, which was won by the former via a Technical Knockout in the second-round.
“With our fight gone, no women boxed in the card,” Andiego said. “It is my wish that the next event should have two or more women bouts. I am urging Kenyan promoters to feature more women boxers.”
Kalakoda's next fight-night is scheduled for Friday, 27 March.