Harriet misses bronze medal
Judoka Harriet Boniface on Monday missed the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games bronze at the last hurdle following her defeat in the 48kilogrammes bronze medal match against Indian Shushila Devi Likmabam.
A win could have ended Malawi’s 36-year medal drought and become the country’s fourth Commonwealth Games medallist after boxers Tatu Ghionga (1970), Lyton Mphande and Solomon Kondowe (both 1986) who won bronze each.
On her way to the bronze medal battle, Boniface beat Veronca Tari from Vanuatu in the first fight. However, she failed to get the better of Likmabam, a silver medallist during the 2014 edition in Glasgow, Scotland.
“I am disappointed that I failed to win the medal. All the same, life must go on,” she said.
Judo Association of Malawi general secretary Osbourne Banda said Boniface’s performance was inspiring.
“The result is good. Our preparations were not that good due to lack of resources,” he said.
Banda said there is need to invest in the sport if local athletes are to do well in international competitions.
Boxer Luwis Zakeyu Mbewe (welterweight) is on the right path in the medal search as he has qualified for the quarter-finals after beating Sierra Leonean Yusufu Deen Kargbo on points in round of 16 yesterday.
He will face Ioan Croft of Wales in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
Another male boxer Elias Bonzo was eliminated in round of 32 of men’s light-weight category after losing on points to John Ume of Papua New Guinea. Four of the five judges scored against him.
Female boxer Natasha Maya (featherweight) lost to Botswana’s Keomogetse Sadie Kenosi.
Short distance runner Stern Lifa finished third in eight-athlete 100 metre heat but failed to meet qualifying standard for the next round after clocking 10.49 seconds. Nigerian Raymond Ekevwo and Jamaican Kemar Bailey made the grade from the heat in 10.14 and 10.15, respectively.
In Swimming, Andrew Kumbatira Tsinde stuttered in 50-metre freestyle after crossing the finish line in 27.8 seconds. He was not among the top 16 athletes across the nine heats to progress to the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, with their hopes of making it to the semi-finals up in smoke, the Malawi Queens will be out to beat Trinidad and Tobago today to boost their chances of finishing fifth.
After a day’s rest, the Queens will be out to beat a side ranked three places below them.
