Online Reporter
Tendai Chara
Zimpapers Sports Hub
MONALISA Sibanda has never walked an easy path, and this weekend she faces perhaps her steepest climb yet. Zimbabwe’s first female professional boxer, now 42 and still fighting for respect, goes into hostile territory to take on Malawi’s ruthless Ruth Chisale in Lilongwe on Saturday.
The eight-round, non-title clash has the makings of a brutal test. Sibanda, the Women International Boxing Association (WIBA) light welterweight intercontinental champion, heads to Malawi with more questions than answers surrounding her build-up.
First came the shock departure of her coach, Simon Sangulani, who abandoned camp three weeks before the fight. She has since brought in Tom Fernando, but such last-minute changes can rattle even the most seasoned fighters.
Then there was the battle with her own body. In June she weighed 87 kilogrammes.
To make the middleweight division, she had to shed 14 kilogrammes in just a few weeks. That drastic cut meant a punishing diet and stripped-down meals, a process that can sap strength and slow recovery.
Her last competitive outing was nine months ago, a points win over Dilara Yucel in the UAE. The long lay-off leaves her vulnerable to ring rust, while Chisale has been busier, last fighting in February.
The Malawian, known in boxing circles as “Black Chocolate,” brings youth and momentum to the ring. At 30, she has compiled 12 wins, three losses and a draw, and will be backed by a home crowd that expects her to deliver.
But Sibanda is not cowed. If anything, she thrives on defying the odds.
“Chisale is going to bite the dust. I am older than her but age is nothing but a number. I am also more mature and more experienced than her,” she declared.
She insists the turmoil in camp won’t shake her focus.
“What happened during training is now water under the bridge. As an experienced boxer, I have encountered far worse things than this. I am going to do the nation proud come Saturday,” she vowed.
Online Reporter