Former WBC champ Fatuma Zarika hopeful of challenging for world title

Former World Boxing Council (WBC) women's Super bantamweight champion Fatuma Zarika is glad to 'revive' her boxing career, after a brief lull, after gaming firm SportPesa unveiled a multi-million sports sponsorship investment in Nairobi on Thursday.

Kenya's boxing queen now hopes to step into the ring very soon, in the course of this season, to challenge for an international diadem following SportPesa's partnership with UFS BXNG that saw the promotional body, owned by Maurice Odera, receive Sh40 million support from the leading gaming firm.

Kenya Rugby Union also received a similar amount to help the federation run the opening leg of the forthcoming HSBC World Rugby SVNS2 series, set for Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on February 14-15.

Also getting the same support is the SportPesa Racing team driver Leonardo Varese (driver) and his long-term navigator Kigo Kareithi, who are already stepping up training for this year's WRC Safari Rally set for the rough terrains of Naivasha on March 12-15.

"I'm so happy to get back to boxing. I'm also glad that Odera has included me under his stable. I'm already training very hard as we hope for bigger and better things this year," Zarika told Standard Sports.

Odera said he is hopeful to give the sponsorship value for the money, starting with the opening round of the   SportPesa Boxing Rising Stars series held on Thursday night in Nairobi.

"We are very grateful for this support. We now hope to take boxing to the next level. We've always had a vision for where we want to take this sport in the country, and one of the pathways to do this is also through the SportPesa Boxing Rising Stars that we are slugging off tonight (Thursday). "This partnership is about rebuilding belief in Kenyan 

boxing. With this support, we can develop fighters properly, promote them professionally and give them a real chance to compete beyond our borders. "We have big plans for this year, among them to stage continental and global titles this season, so stay tuned," noted Odera.

Varese indicated that rallying is a very expensive affair, and SportPesa coming on board is a godsend opportunity for him and Kigo to stamp their authority at the Safari Rally where their target is to finish the rally, under the National Class category.

"Apart from the money that we have received, we have also been assisted to acquire a very powerful rally car (Toyota Yaris GR), a Rally3 machine whose engine equals the WRC road monsters that fans will be witnessing from the top manufacturers like Hyundai, M-Sport and Toyota who will be combing Naivasha in search of the Safari Rally showpiece titles in March.

"I'm glad to now own a competent car, going into my first ever Safari Rally following the return of the series in Kenya after a 19-year hiatus. We not only hope to finish the rally in one piece, but to get to the podium in the National Classification category where we used to roar in the past championships- before Safari got back to the WRC calendar," Varese noted.

"We are so determined to make our 'debut' in the Safari count. It's either we go big, or we go home," underlined Varese.

While hailing the Sh40 million extended to KRU,  rugby ace Vincent Onyala said Shujaa and Lionesses are out to bring the HSBC World SVNS2 diadems home at the Nairobi showdown.

"We have already had high-performance training in South Africa and Kenya Lionesses are on the same in Spain. Both sides are focused put their best foot forward to ensure that the Nairobi SVNS2 titles remain on Kenyan soil. This is the only way we can thank and push SportPesa as a brand locally and globally," said Onyala.

SportPesa Chief Commercial Officer, Jason Gibson, noted that their new investments on rugby, boxing and rally reflect the company’s belief in sport as a national asset and a pathway for talent development and its commercialisation.

“Kenya has exceptional sporting talent across disciplines, but talent alone is not enough,” said Gibson. 

“Sustainable success requires investment, structure and belief.This sponsorship is about backing Kenyan athletes, supporting local systems and ensuring sport can thrive as a career, not just a passion," Gibson added.