Anita Tjombe to launch Iron Lady Promotions

ANITA Tjombe, Namibia’s only female boxing promoter, plans to launch her own stable next week, she said yesterday.

Tjombe, who recently split from former two-time world champion Harry Simon’s Onkugo Boxing Promotions, said she was ready to ‘uplift the standard of boxing’, hence the decision open her own establishment. ‘I came into boxing to make it better,’ Tjombe told reporters at a media briefing yesterday. ‘I said that in the beginning and I plan to do it. I have a lot of exciting things lined up.’According to Tjombe, she will operate in partnership with Kinda Promotions, owned by her ally Kinda Nangolo. ‘Kinda and I will line up together,’ she said. ‘I’m certain that we will make a strong combination.’The ambitious promoter said from next month she plans to focus full-time on boxing. ‘My main focus is to improve the wellbeing of boxers in the country,’ Tjombe said. ‘At the moment many boxers are struggling. I’ll make sure they get proper medical aid, have a salary and proper training gear.’Tjombe said local boxers lacked competitive action, a situation she will remedy starting with a ‘Boxing Festival’ at the end of August. She also said she had plans of finding her own fighters. ‘I will make sure that they at least have a minimum of five fights per year,’ Tjombe said.’I will sign up four amateur boxers and give them everything that is necessary to develop them. I will pay for their school fees and accommodation.’SMOKEY BOOSTWBA Pan-African flyweight title holder Joseph ‘Smokey Joe’ Hilongwa’s plans to ‘whoop’ Zimbabwean challenger Tinashe Mwadziwana received a N$10 000 boost from AgriBank yesterday. The Namibian will be making his second title defence on July 30 at the Sport Klub Windhoek Hall in Olympia. According to the institution’s Midland Manager, Kamauu Nondova, the cash injection ‘would add value to this whole competition’.Buoyed by the support, the boxer vowed to retain his crown. Hilongwa first defended his title after beating Emmanuel Simbeye of Zambia with a ninth-round TKO on June 4 in Walvis Bay.’I don’t care how well he (Mwadziwana) prepares, all I know is that I will successfully defend my title,’ said Hilongwa. ‘I feel better than ever before.’Ordinary tickets to the fight cost N$50 while N$100 will be charged for VIP seats.