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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter

TOP Zimbabwean female boxer Kudakwashe “Take Money” Chiwandire was expected to touch down in Mexico last night ahead of her historic World Boxing Council (WBC) super-bantamweight world title fight. The 27-year-old is scheduled to face-off against Mexican holder Yamileth Mecardo in Chihuahau tomorrow.

Chiwandire’s camp is, however, pushing for a postponement to allow the boxer time to rest before she enters the ring.  According to the programme, Chiwandire is supposed to go for the weigh-in and  subsequent face-off with her opponent this morning.

Yet it’s not clear whether she has already connected from Mexico City to Chihuahua, which is a distance of about 1 400km.

Initially, Chiwandire was scheduled to arrive in Mexico at least six days before the fight date to allow her time to acclimatise.  But her team encountered logistical complications in applying for visas with the Mexican Consulate only issuing the travel stamps late in the afternoon on Wednesday.

And the team departed around midnight on the same day via Amsterdam, Netherlands.  They then connected to Mexico City last night. There is no doubting the mental and physical fatigue that Chiwandire is enduring at the moment.

But Chiwandire remains positive she will win the fight regardless of whether it has been postponed or not.

“I am a hardened soldier. I have seen worst things in my life and these challenges which I have faced leading up to the fight can hardly move me.

“I am a girl child who is trying to carve a niche in this sport and I cannot afford to be a crybaby,” said Chiwandire.

“Challenges are part of life, they are part of this game and I cannot allow that to disturb me. I am as focused as ever.

“I am really excited by this challenge. I will be out to make my country proud. This is the biggest chance that we have had as a country to be counted in the sport of boxing.”

Chiwandire said the status of her opponent, who has successfully defended the WBC belt since 2019, doesn’t matter a lot.

“I am not reading into Mercado’s history and record. I am concentrating on beating my opponent. We have done our homework well studying on areas where we can maximize. “All along, we have been analysing the fighting style of our opponent and we know exactly how we are going to approach the fight. As a boxer, I am not very much concerned with how an opponent would have fared in their previous fights.

“I am going to put my head on the wall just for my country’s badge.”

Meanwhile, a logistics firm, BG Sniper Transport, has pledged US$2 000 for Chiwandire regardless of the fight’s outcome.

The budding company will host Chiwandire upon her return from Mexico in Harare. BG Sniper director, Parkston Choto, told The Herald that his company was ready to partner Chiwandire beyond her fight in Mexico.  “We are proud of Chiwandire as BG Sniper Transport. She is representing the country.

“We have set aside US$2 000 for her upon her return from Mexico,” said Choto.

“We are fully behind her and we wish her all the best in her quest to win the WBC belt.”