Morocco’s Widad Bertal Wins Historic World Title and $100,000 Prize in Serbia!

Morocco is celebrating another golden moment in boxing after Widad Bertal clinched the bantamweight title at the 2025 Women's World Championships in Nis, Serbia. With this victory, Bertal pocketed a staggering $100,000, the top prize awarded by the International Boxing Association (IBA) to gold medalists.

The two-time African champion faced a tough challenge against Turkish Olympic silver medallist Hatice Akbas in the final on Sunday, March 16. After a slow start, where she lost the first round unanimously, Bertal fought back aggressively in the second and third rounds, landing clean combinations to turn the fight in her favor. The match, which initially ended in a 3-2 split decision, was sent for a Bout Review, where Bertal was confirmed the winner with a 5-2 verdict.

With this triumph, Bertal becomes the second African female boxer to win a world title, following in the footsteps of her compatriot Khadija Mardi, who won gold at the 2023 World Championships in India.

Although the fight did not produce the anticipated fireworks, Bertal's persistence and attacking approach paid off. Both boxers were warned by the referee in the first round for lack of engagement, and the bout saw moments of excessive clinching. Despite this, Bertal maintained her intensity, forcing Akbas into a defensive position and proving her dominance on the global stage.

This victory cements Bertal’s status as a rising star in women’s boxing and further highlights Africa’s growing presence in the sport. Now, with a world title and a six-figure prize under her belt, Bertal has solidified herself as one of the top contenders heading into the Paris 2024 Olympics.