Widad Bertal of Morocco has been crowned world champion in the 52-54 kg category at the Women’s World Boxing Championships held in Nis, Serbia.
The victory, which occurred on Sunday, marks a significant achievement for Moroccan women’s boxing.
Bertal, a decorated athlete with previous gold medals from the 2023 African Championships in Yaoundé and the 2024 African Championships in Kinshasa, faced a formidable opponent in the final: Turkey’s Hatice Akbas, the 2022 world champion and Paris 2024 Olympic Games runner-up. In a decisive match, Bertal emerged victorious with a score of 5-2.
Her journey to the championship title included a hard-fought semifinal victory over Serbian boxer Sara Cirkovic, with a final score of 4-3.
Adding to Morocco’s success at the championships, Hasna Larti secured a bronze medal in the 75-81 kg category. Larti advanced to the semifinals after defeating Bulgarian Victoriya Kebikava by referee stoppage. However, she was defeated by Russia’s Saltanat Medenova in the semifinal bout by a unanimous decision (5-0).
The Women’s World Boxing Championships took place from March 8th to 16th, showcasing top female boxing talent from around the globe.
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