▪️ Rosemarion will take on Canada’s Marie-Bathoul in the quarterfinals at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday. Victory will assure Kenya of a medal since she will qualify for the semi-finals
July 27, 2026
Kenya’s Rosemarion Otieno is radiating supreme confidence ahead of her anxiously awaited lightweight quarterfinal bout against Canada’s Marie-Bathoul on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Glasgow.
With a historic medal on the line, the Germany-based pugilist is fully convinced that victory is within her grasp, urging Kenyan fans back home to prepare their celebrations.
The stakes could not be higher at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. A victory in the quarterfinals on Tuesday guarantees Otieno at least a bronze medal, which would secure Kenya’s very first podium finish of this year’s Games.
“I have trained intensely for this exact moment,” Rosemarion told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview, her focus locked on the upcoming clash.
“Marie-Bathoul is a tough opponent, but together with my coach we’ve of course analysed her previous fights and know exactly what to do. I’ll prepare myself both mentally and tactically to execute our game plan on the fight night. I am not just entering the ring to compete; I am entering to win. Kenyans back home should get ready to uncork their champagne bottles because the medal is coming home.”
Does Rosemarion feel she’s up to the big task in Glasgow?
“Absolutely, I feel I’m up to the task,” she says oozing tons of confidence.
“That’s exactly why I’m here. If I didn’t believe in myself and my abilities, there would have been no point coming to this tournament.”
The boxer’s development while training in Germany has sharpened her tactical execution and physical conditioning. Facing off against Canada’s formidable Marie-Bathoul will be a true test of skill, but Otieno’s camp believes her superior ring IQ will dictate the tempo of the fight.
“I’m highly motivated and yes, I do feel the pressure,” says the 26-year-old Rosemarion who landed in Darmstadt, Germany, in 2022 to pursue her studies, moving out of Ruai on the outskirts of Nairobi’s Central Business District where she was putting up and training at Kayole Wings Millers Boxing Club.
“I’m determined to channel that pressure from fans back home in the right direction and use it to bring out my best performance. I know
how much this means to the people of Kenya and I want to give them something to
celebrate. My goal is to make my country proud and give everything I have in the ring.”
Any butterflies in her stomach ahead of this crucial fight?
With a chuckle, Rosemarion responds:”Of course I still get butterflies in my stomach and I do feel nervous before a fight. I respect every opponent, and if I didn’t feel that way, boxing wouldn’t be such an exciting sport. At the same time, I always embrace the challenge and do my best to stay in control of my emotions so that I can perform at my best in the ring.”
Rosemarion feels proud having her roots in Siaya County, dubbed the home of boxing champions in Western Kenya, producing top boxers such as James “Demosh” Omondi, Charles “Dixie Kidi” Oduori, his elder brother Ojow Mamba and former Ugandan internationals Alex Odhiambo and James Odwori to mention but a few.
“I’m very proud of my roots in my county Siaya, they’ve shaped who I am, both as a person and as a boxer. We boxers from Siaya believe so much in ourselves,” says Rosemarion whose favourite food is fried chicken, or gweno as they call it in her mother tongue.
She represented Kenya for the first time this year in the Eindhoven Box Cup in May in the Netherlands with the blessings of the Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK), making a big statement by winning a bronze medal.
“I’m truly grateful to BFK for the trust and confidence they’ve placed in me, the ball is now in my court to prove them right.”
She was over the moon when informed she had been selected in Kenya’s team for the Glasgow Games.
“I was incredibly excited,” says Rosemarion, adding:” I couldn’t believe it I had been selected to represent Kenya in Glasgow. It was a very emotional moment for me.”
As Kenyans brace up for the first boxing medal on Tuesday, the Kenyan contingent in Glasgow is rallying behind their boxer, hoping her unwavering faith will ignite a golden run for the nation.
