By Monwabisi Jimlongo
In as far as boxing is concerned, nothing was known about Seymour in the Eastern Cape’s Raymond Mhlaba Municipality until female boxer Sharadene Fortuin started being the shining light from the farming area.
And despite hiccups here and there, Fortuin has soldiered on to put Seymour on the boxing map. That she’s been a South African female bantamweight champion for more than two years now bears testimony to that.
With just under two months since she defeated Zimbabwean opponent Patience Mastara, Fortuin is scheduled to fight against Iranian Nastaran Fathi in a World Boxing Association (WBA) Gold female junior-featherweight title contest in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday next week.
“This is a very good opportunity for me. I have been looking forward to having this kind of an opportunity for quite some time. I’m going there and will come back home with the belt,” a confident Fortuin said.
The former International Boxing Organisation (IBO) female bantamweight titlist, who is the first born in a family of two daughters, is happy with the backing she gets from the Seymour community.
“People back home fully support me and I’m very grateful to them. They all love what I’m doing and that motivates me to work harder,” Fortuin, who leaves for Dubai on Tuesday next week, remarked.
The 29-year-old Fortuin will go to the Fathi fight on the back of a win and a draw this year. She drew with Melissa Miller when they fought for her SA title at the East London International Convention Centre (ICC) in July and then defeated Mastara in September.
Trained by Lonki Witbooi in East London, Fortuin is the fourth African boxer to face off against Fathi this year. The Iranian defeated Tanzanian Najma Isike in March, Ellen Simwaka from Malawi in May and then beat Zambian boxer Lina Kasweka two months later.
Fortuin carries a record of 14 victories (three knockouts), two losses and two draws to the fight while her opponent has registered 10 wins (three stoppages) and a loss.
