Zarika Fatuma, the World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight women champion is in Mexico to defend her title against Mexican Yamileth Mercado. But this time around, she doesn’t have a sponsor.
Zarika is one of the affected Kenyan sports personalities following the exit of betting firm Sportpesa, and she will now be forced to try to make ends meet without the massive financial support she enjoyed when Sportpesa was operational in Kenya.
This comes at a critical time when she needs to fight even harder so as to beat an energetic and youthful Mercado, who will be throwing heavy punches in front of her home fans at Chihuahua on Sunday between 5 am and 9 am (Kenyan time).
But Zarika is hopeful of staging a spirited fight to successfully defend her coveted title. She traveled to Mexico alongside her two coaches Jared Aseka and Roy Kwavi, and Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) Secretary-General Francis Imbenzi.
On Friday, Imbenzi said the world champion was in good shape and nothing will stop her from overcoming the Mexican whom she had dismissed in their first title fight in Nairobi last year in a unanimous points decision.
“Since our arrival here (Mexico City) all have been well and Zarika is in good shape and determined to see the belt returns to Kenya although Mercado takes the home-ground advantage,” he said.
“If Zarika inspires the way she did while in residential training, then the belt is ours to lose at her (Mercado’s) backyard,” he added.
Last week, Zarika said failure to train abroad had affected her morale and confidence but was quick to point out that it will not affect her ego in her quest to defend the title against the Mexican.
“Training abroad is advantageous as it exposed me to advanced facilities under experienced foreign coaches giving us the inspiration and confidence in a crucial match,” Zarika said in reference to her earlier two-month training in Manchester in United Kingdom courtesy of Sportpesa.
Zarika boasts 32 Technical Knockouts, 12 knockouts and two losses from 46 fights from the time she joined the paid ranks in 2003.