Against All Odds: The Fatuma Zarika Story- Part 5
3rd September 2018
It reached a point that she would participate in boxing matches just to break records
- Zarika’s fortunes seemed to be turning for the better as afterwards she was approached by promoter and trainer Kale Osaga
- The back and forth with Zarika and promoters not paying her went on for a year and during this time she would participate in fights merely for the sake of breaking records
- Time went by and she kept her spirits up until she was fortunate enough to get a well-wisher who took her to America with the conventional promise of turning her boxing career around
NAIROBI, Kenya- With her title fight fast approaching women's World Boxing Council Super Bantamweight Champion, Fatuma 'Iron Fist' Zarika, is already back in the country and counting the hours before taking on Yamileth Mercado at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) on Saturday.
Zarika will enjoy home advantage when she takes to the ring to defend the title she won in 2016 for the second time, following her victory over Zambian Catherine Phiri in Nairobi last December.
SportPesa News sat with Zarika and in the fifth part of the series, she reveals how throughout her career even when things seemed to be looking up, there were still plenty of challenges she had to deal with to achieve her world champion status.
The other parts of her inspiring story published thus far detailed her beginning, hardships, her way out and the journey.
THE SINKING FEELING
The victory enabled her to get noticed by Blue Shield Insurance who wrote her first every paycheck. She penned a one-year contract that entitled her to five professional fights in that duration.
Zarika’s fortunes seemed to be turning for the better as afterwards she was approached by promoter and trainer Kale Osaga, who convinced her to sign another two-year deal, this time with Osaga Promotions.
When the fights began to come, the same old curse of not being paid continued to haunt Zarika. She had entrusted Osaga with the task of turning her into one of the best female boxers in the land and the endless promises she would get made her reluctant to pressure him for her dues.
The back and forth with Zarika and promoters not paying her went on for a year and during this time she would participate in fights merely for the sake of breaking records. On a good day, she would receive KSh 10,000 for her efforts.
“Even after I left Osaga Promoters, I knew that I had to find a new avenue to make it. I still had to provide for my family, they needed clothes and school fees to pursue an education and that was enough to encourage me,” she underlined.
Time went by and she kept her spirits up until she was fortunate enough to get a well-wisher who took her to America with the conventional promise of turning her boxing career around.
What began as a dream come true, became a dark reality as it did not turn out to be the American dream that she had hoped it would be. She ended up doing house-work for a long period of time and rarely training.