Sixteen-year-old Kenyan boxer Ella Demesi will compete at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal. Ella qualified through Kenya’s youth boxing program and the international pathway for the Olympic Games.
Her route to Dakar included the World Boxing U19 Futures Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, held from March 8 to 15, 2026.
The tournament was designated as part of the qualification pathway for the Dakar Youth Olympics and brought together more than 450 boxers from 78 national federations.
Demesi competed in the women’s 51kg U19 category in Bangkok, where she faced Canada’s Mehreen Khakh on March 10, 2026.
The Kenyan teenager lost by a 5–0 unanimous decision; however, her participation placed her in the international assessment process for athletes seeking places at Dakar.
World Boxing announced on July 1, 2026, that the allocation process had been completed, with 120 boxing quota places, with 60 men and 60 women, allocated to 79 National Olympic Committees.
From Kibra to the Youth Olympics
Demesi’s journey to the Olympic stage began in Kibra, Nairobi, where she joined Kibra Youth Boxing Club after her younger brother, Ramsey Wahu, introduced her to the sport.
According to Demesi, Ramsey went to watch a boxing match in Kibra, then returned home and encouraged her to try the sport.
“My younger brother went to watch a boxing match just here in Kibra. When he returned home, he told me to give it a try, and when I tried, I was hooked,” Demesi explained during an interview.
After her brother pushed her to take up boxing, Ella Demesi began training under coach Edward Ogweno, who runs Kibra Youth Boxing Club.
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Ella Demesi’s International Assignment
Demesi’s first major international exposure came at the 2025 African Youth Games in Luanda, Angola.
She represented Kenya in the flyweight division alongside Clinton Omondi, Phelix Ochieng and Sonia Atieno.
At the tournament, Demesi faced Tunisia’s Oueslatim Tashmin and was eliminated from the competition.
In March 2026, Demesi traveled to Thailand with four Kenyan boxers selected for the World Boxing Futures Cup, including Sonia Atieno, Phelix Ochieng and Brian Arianda.
During the World Boxing Futures Cup, Demesi faced Canada’s Mehreen Khakh on March 10.
Khakh won the contest 5–0, ending Demesi’s campaign in Bangkok.
However, subsequent coverage singled out the Kenyan teenager as one of the tournament’s more impressive Kenyan performers.
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About Ella Demesi Local Competitions
Away from the ring, Demesi is a Grade 10 student at Shadrack Kimalel Secondary School.
Beyond international tournaments, Demesi has also continued to build her record through domestic competition.
On May 30, 2026, Demesi defeated fellow Kibra Youth boxer Mitchel Mutindi on points in the women’s flyweight final during the first leg of the Nairobi County Boxing League at Pal Pal Gym.
She later faced another Kibra Youth teammate, Anastacia Mutindi, in a series of domestic contests.
Demesi has also previously spoken about her desire to win an Olympic medal.
Additionally, Ella Demesi publicly stated that she was willing to learn a foreign language after a boxing match in which a referee stopped her bout in the first round against Tunisia’s Oueslatim Tashmin in Angola.
“I just slipped to the canvas; no punch hit me, then he counted, spoke to me in Portuguese I don’t understand, and stopped the fight. I will start learning some foreign languages to avoid a repeat of what happened,” Ella noted after a boxing match in Angola.
She has also said she wants to join the Kenya Defense Forces and pursue nursing in the future.
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