Ndokosho fights for IBF Africa title

By: HELGE SCHUTZ

GOTLIEB Ndokosho will top the bill at a boxing bonanza organised by Kinda Promotions on September 29 when he takes on Rajabu Maoja of Tanzania for the vacant IBF Intercontinental Africa Featherweight title fight at the SKW Hall in Windhoek.

Namibian boxing promoter Nangolo Kinda announced the fight yesterday, and said that there would be seven other fights on the undercard, including the first  professional female fight in Namibia.
“It’s going to be a big fight, because this will be the first time that an IBF title fight will be held in Namibia,” he said.
Ndokosho, who has a record of 13 wins and three defeats as a pro boxer, said he was confident of victory.
“I don’t have much to say but I’m very happy to get this opportunity. I’m well prepared and I’m ready to win the fight, either by knockout or by points, it doesn’t matter, I’m ready,” he said.
“I haven’t seen him [Maoja] fighting before but that does not matter, I’m waiting for him. I just want to be a champion,” he added.
Maoja has a record of 19 wins, 10 defeats and three draws.
In a welterweight fight over six rounds Namibia’s Pohamba Mandume will take on South Africa’s Isaac Hlatshwayo.
Hlatshwayo, who fought in Namibia for the first time in July when he lost on points to Namibia’s African WBO welterweight champion Tyson Ushona, is a former IBO and IBF world champion and has a record of 30 wins, five losses and one draw.
Mandume said this record did not impress him.
“I saw him fight Tyson and I was not impressed at all, they were like chickens fighting over food. My fans have been asking when will I fight again, so now I can say, ‘The President’ is ready, so come and support me on September 29,” he said.
Cicilia Pitiseni will feature in the first female boxing bout in Namibia, although her opponent still has to be named.
Pitiseni, who is originally from Zimbabwe but has been living in Namibia for the past three months, has a record of four wins, two losses and one draw.
“I came to Namibia because I want to make the sport grow in Namibia,” she said.
“I call on Namibian women to take up boxing, because it’s the same as any other sport,” she said.
Meanwhile Kinda also announced that Namibian heavyweight boxer Boniface Simasiku Matengu will take on the Zambian heavyweight champion Francis Zulu in Lusaka on September 30.
Zulu has a record of 16 wins, three defeats and two draws while Matengu has only fought once as a professional, beating Toivo Kamati in July last year.
He was however confident of victory.
“I have prepared very well and I have the hand speed of a featherweight or a lightweight. Zulu’s got a lot of records but I don’t care about the records, I’ll prove myself and break down those records,” he said.
The other fights on the Kinda Promotions undercard are as follows:
Featherweight 8 rounds: Albinus Felesianu v Godfrey Nemukongwe of South Africa; Lightweight 6 rounds: Chris Ukelo v Leonard Shemuvalula; Bantamweight 4 rounds: Timoteus Shuulula v Johannes Gabriel; Featherweight 4 rounds: Johannes Kutumba v To be announced; Featherweight 6 rounds: Joseph Katenda v To be announced

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