Maria Machongua
{{short description|Mozambican boxer}}
{{Infobox boxer (amateur)
| name = Maria Machongua
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| full_name =
| nickname =
| nationality =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|01|31}}
| birth_place = Maputo, Mozambique
| height =
| weight =
| weight_class = Lightweight
| club =
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport|Women's boxing}}
{{Medal|Country|{{MOZ}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|Commonwealth Games}}
{{Medal|Bronze|2014 Glasgow|Lightweight}}
| show-medals = yes
}}
Maria Machongua (born 31 January 1993) is a Mozambican boxer, who competed for her country at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. In the lightweight class, she won one of the bronze medals, the first such medal anyone from her country had won in boxing.
Career
Maria Machongua was born on 31 January 1993, in Maputo, Mozambique.{{cite web|title=Maria Machongua|url=http://g2014results.thecgf.com/athlete/boxing/1072815/m_machongua.html|publisher=Glasgow 2014|accessdate=11 November 2017|archive-date=3 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603073845/http://g2014results.thecgf.com/athlete/boxing/1072815/m_machongua.html|url-status=dead}} She since took up boxing, becoming the national champion in the women's lightweight division. For the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, she was coached by Northern Irish trainer Harry Hawkins alongside the rest of the Mozambique boxers.{{cite news|last1=Martin|first1=Tim|title=Belfast coach Harry Hawkins plays role in African glory story|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/commonwealth-games/belfast-coach-harry-hawkins-plays-role-in-african-glory-story-30478339.html|accessdate=11 November 2017|work=Belfast Telegraph|date=2 August 2014}} Hawkins said of Machongua when he first met her, "She was completely unknown to us, but you could tell taking her on the pads that she wasn't bad - and she listened intently to what you were saying".{{cite news|title=Hawkins Happy to Help|url=http://www.irishnews.com/sport/2014/08/12/news/hawkins-happy-to-help-99063/|accessdate=11 November 2017|work=Irish News|date=12 August 2014}}
Machongua was one of several boxers to represent Mozambique.{{cite news|title=Jogos da Commonwealth: Maria brilha a prata|url=http://pda.verdade.co.mz/desporto/47893-jogos-da-commonwealth-maria-brilha-a-prata|work=Verdade|date=31 July 2014|language=Portuguese|archive-date=14 July 2019|access-date=11 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714031018/http://pda.verdade.co.mz/desporto/47893-jogos-da-commonwealth-maria-brilha-a-prata|url-status=dead}} She needed to increase weight to compete in the {{convert|60|kg|lb}} class, as she normally fights at {{convert|54|kg|lb}}. Each morning before weigh-ins, she needed to eat and drink in order to meet the minimum weight of {{convert|57|kg|lb}} for the class. However, she was the only one to make it past the first round, defeating Lesotho's Nthabeleng Mathaha. Machongua won again in the second round, setting up a match in the semi-finals with former world champion Laishram Sarita Devi of India. She was defeated by Devi 3-0,{{cite news|title=Boxing: Women's Light (57 - 60kg)|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/commonwealth-games/28534977|accessdate=11 November 2017|work=BBC Sport|date=29 July 2014}} automatically winning one of the two bronze medals in the competition. This was the first time a boxer from Mozambique had won a medal at the Games.