Mobs of enthusiastic fans descend on her every time she is spotted on the busy streets of Lusaka; many shake hands with her while a good number fall over each other to merely catch a glimpse of their overnight national heroine.
At home, in a little-developed settlement east of the Zambian capital, she has to remain indoors much of the time to avoid the disturbances caused by the crowds of people who wait outside her house to congratulate her.
”Defending my belt has really changed my life,” says Esther Phiri, the Zambian female boxer who recently defended her Women’s International Boxing Federation (WIBF) super featherweight world title against Bulgaria’s Monika Petrova.
”I am finding it hard to step out of the house because of the many people who keep on coming [to my] home. I have been indoors since I won that fight … and have to be picked up by my trainer each time I travel anywhere in Lusaka.”
Although Phiri has held the title since December last year, when she grabbed it from American Kelli Coffer in the ”Africa versus America” showdown held in Nairobi, Kenya, only now has the hysteria built among Zambians.
Before the March 18 bout, which attracted a record crowd and was beamed to the nation live on state television, Phiri could walk the streets of Lusaka freely without attracting any curious looks.
But not any more.
For the past two weeks following her victory, Phiri has consistently coloured the local press with picture spreads of her accompanying countless congratulatory messages from individuals and the corporate world.
”The response that Esther has received is very encouraging and overwhelming. I think more people have come to appreciate her boxing ability now because they watched her live and saw how she performed, unlike when she first won the title in Kenya,” said Phiri’s manager and trainer, Anthony Mwamba.
Phiri, who has been rated among the top eight female boxers by the United States-based World Women’s Professional Boxing Federation, dominated the eight-round title contest with a flood of stinging jabs that kept Petrova dashing all over the canvas throughout the bout.
With her tactical stance, stamina and a display of impeccable skill that gave her enough balance to knock down the more experienced former kick-boxer at least once in the sixth round, Phiri repeatedly unleashed a spirited left jab and a string of timely upper cuts aimed at Petrova’s face to successfully defend the title.
After the fight, she walked away with 40-million kwacha (about R70 000) in prize money and a record of nine professional bouts: seven wins, one loss and a draw.
Ahead of the March 18 contest, Phiri spent more than two months running 21km every morning and undergoing intensive training, including shadow-boxing, sparring and skipping, to ensure victory did not elude her.
”The days before my fight were not easy for my coach, who was under continuous pressure. But he never gave up and I wouldn’t be the world champion today without him,” she told the Mail & Guardian.
”In the ring, I felt very fit and fitness is the only secret. I knew I was going to win; I had no fear of Monika as we fought because of my adequate preparation for the fight. But I was afraid of the final decision in case the points did not go in my favour.”
But while the nation is still basking in the glory of her victory, Phiri and her trainer have decided to look beyond the newly defended title and are now focusing on walking another unbeaten path.
The boxer, who was born on New Year’s Day in 1987, is set on returning to the ring on May 26 to challenge for the vacant Women’s WIBF junior lightweight title in Lusaka. And so she has resumed training.
Mwamba, who runs Exodus International Boxing Promotions, said his ”target is to ensure she gets at least two or three more belts, especially those that are vacant at the WIFB or the World Boxing Council. We are looking at a number of opponents that Esther can fight in the May bout.”
Phiri, one of Evelyn Tembo’s three girls and four boys who lost their father about 12 years ago, only went as far as the sixth grade owing to financial constraints, and she discovered her boxing ability just a few years ago.
In a country where boxing has been widely regarded as a man’s sport since the days of former Commonwealth and African light heavyweight champion, Lottie Mwale, Phiri’s initial approach to the game of punches was more of a casual affair.
In 2003, she started training and keeping fit at one of the gyms in her neighbourhood before meeting her current trainer, who has since been arranging a number of fights for the sensational boxer.
At a time when Zambia’s number one sport, football, has been nothing but a string of disappointments, Phiri’s newly unveiled professional boxing career might well provide the long-awaited consolation to the Southern African country’s sports lovers.