Press release courtesy of Boxing Canada
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | September 11, 2025 – Liverpool, England – Team Canada delivered a series of impressive performances at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England, running from September 4 to 14. Three Canadian athletes — Viktoria Penney, Keoma Ali-Ahmadieh, and Joshua Ofori — battled their way to the quarterfinals, showcasing resilience, technical skill, and heart on the international stage.
The standout moment came from Viktoria Penney (80kg, Sully’s Boxing Gym, ON), who earned her first-ever international Referee Stops Contest (RSC) victory. Facing China’s Qimeng Zhong, Penney edged ahead in the first round before fending off heavy pressure in the second with sharp counterpunches. A flurry of punches forced Zhong into a standing eight count, and Penney capitalized with relentless combinations. After a second standing eight count, the referee stopped the contest, securing a commanding win for Canada.
Keoma Ali-Ahmadieh (60kg, The Corner, QC) renewed his rivalry with Japan’s Shunsuke Kitamoto, following their meeting earlier this year at the World Challenge in Czech Republic. The tactical bout between two southpaws saw Kitamoto narrowly take the first round and dominate the second with aggressive forward pressure. Ali-Ahmadieh surged back in the third, landing precise shots to both head and body, but despite swaying one judge, he fell just short on the scorecards after a courageous performance.
Closing Canada’s quarterfinals campaign, Joshua Ofori (75kg, Marshall Boxing Club, AB) squared off against England’s hometown favorite Callum Makin. Makin controlled much of the opening round, but Ofori roared back in the second, using his power to impress three judges while forcing Makin to lose a point for repeated infractions. The final round was fiercely contested, ending in a razor-thin decision. With two judges scoring the bout a draw, Makin edged through on the remaining cards, despite Ofori’s late rally.
Head Coach Vincent Auclair praised the team’s efforts:
“Every single one of our athletes showed tremendous grit and determination. Viktoria’s RSC win was historic for her while Keoma and Joshua demonstrated world-class skill in incredibly close matches. This young team continues to prove Canada belongs on the global stage.” Having three athletes in the top eight of a world championships is a significant milestone. Canadian Women have had medals at the World Championships in recent years, but it has been more that 15 since a male athlete has met that standard. Canada registered four women and four men. “We had a bump in the road at Kazakhstan this year but the increasing depth of our program helped us regroup and improve from that experience. Olympic-style boxing isn’t about the win-loss record, it is about constantly learning and improving together.”
After the successes of veteran National Team athletes Wyatt Sanford and Tammara in the Paris Olympic cycle the program is surfacing fresh talent. Executive Director Christopher Lindsay is optimistic about the future for the national team. “Our goal is to invest in the right athlete at the right level of competition at the right time for long term, sustainable success. Boxing has a proud history and with Wyatt’s Bronze medal in Paris and Tammara’s success in amateur and now professional boxing our registration numbers have shot up.”
With that influx of participants clubs and provinces are welcoming many more athletes to Olympic Style Boxing. Boxing Canada supports grass roots programming but the successes of the National Team remain a critical highlight for all Canadians. “We are looking to repeat our medal at LA2028 and increase the medal haul in 2032.”, said a confident Lindsay after the quarterfinals.
Fans can follow the remaining competition on World Boxing’s YouTube channel and CBC Sports coverage. Viktoria Penney will have her semi-final bout September 13th. https://www.cbc.ca/player/sports/live
Team Canada Roster – World Boxing Championships 2025
- Mckenzie Wright – 51kg, ON, Fight Night Boxing Club
- Scarlett Delgado – 54kg, ON, Team Destiny
- Marie Al-Ahmadieh – 57kg, QC, The Corner
- Viktoria Penney – 80kg, ON, Sull’ys Boxing Gym
- Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh – 60kg, QC, The Corner
- Kuwardeep Manu – 70kg, ON, King of the Ring
- Joshua Ofori – 75kg, AB, Marshall Boxing Club
- Nickenson Denis – 80kg, QC, The Corner
Coaching Staff:
- Senior National Team Coach: Samir El Mais
- Head Coach: Vincent Auclair
—ENDS—
About Boxing Canada
Boxing Canada is the national sport organization for the sport of Olympic Boxing in Canada. It provides leadership for national programming, teams, and policies in partnership with each province and territory’s sport organization. Thanks to the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Rival Boxing Canada, and all our national partners for their support. For more information on Boxing Canada, please visit BoxingCanada.org.
For media inquiries regarding the Canadian National Team please contact Christopher Lindsay at [email protected]
