Widad Bertal Crowned Women’s Boxing World Champion

Moroccan boxer Widad Bertal was crowned Women’s Boxing World Champion in the 52-54 kg category on Sunday. The tournament took place in Niš, Serbia, from March 8 to 16, where Bertal secured the gold medal by defeating Turkey’s Hatice Akbaş.

A two-time African champion (2023 in Yaoundé and 2024 in Kinshasa), Bertal triumphed in the final against Hatice Akbaş, the 2022 world champion and silver medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with a score of 5-2.

In the semifinals, the Moroccan athlete edged past Serbian competitor Sara Ćirković in a close contest, winning 4-3.

Meanwhile, another Moroccan boxer, Hasna Larti, clinched the bronze medal in the 75-81 kg category. She reached the semifinals but lost to Russia’s Sultana Madinova by unanimous decision (5-0).