Achieng to set defend her Commonwealth title against Sibanda

Sarah 'Angel of War' Achieng before a past fight. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

World Boxing Federation (WBF) super lightweight champion Sarah Achieng will defend her Commonwealth title against Monalisa Sibanda of Zimbabwe on August 31 in Kisumu.

This will be the second time Achieng will be defending the title after successfully doing so against Chiedza Homakoma of Zimbabwe on December 16 last year.

On Thursday, Achieng said she was ready for the epic duel and promised her fans that she would retain the title on home soil.

“I’m ready for this fight and just the same way I did against Homakoma is the same formula that will be used against Sibanda,” she told Standard Sports.

Achieng has been training for the past three months in readiness for this fight.

“The six and half weeks left before the fight is enough for me to polish my skills (on my strengths and weaknesses) in readiness for the big day,” she said.

So far she has entered the ring 18 times winning 16 bouts (with eight knockouts) and losing two (16-2-0) times in a professional career that commenced in 2008.

On her part, Sibanda has also had 18 professional bouts winning seven (without knockouts) and losing 11 (with seven knockouts) in (7-11-0) having joined the paid ranks in 2005.

Despite not having met Sibanda before, Achieng is not threatened by the development saying “I’ll be ready for her and do what I know best”.

Achieng has been training under the tutelage of Alfred ‘Priest’ Analo.