Boxers to vie for titles in SA

WINDHOEK – The national boxing team bound for the All Africa Games in Algeria in July departed yesterday for an international friendly boxing tournament in Pretoria, South Africa tomorrow.

Most southern African countries will participate in the event in preparation for the AAG, which also serves as first qualifier for the 2008 Olympic Games set for China. The Namibian boxers are: 2006 Commonwealth gold medallist Japhet Uutoni (light flyweight), Johannes Baluka Simon (flyweight), Immanuel Naindjala (bantamweight), Julius Indongo (lightweight), Mejandjae Kasuto (welterweight), Jacob Paulus (lightweight), Tobias Munihango (heavyweight).The boxers have been in a training camp since the beginning of April and have fought in one other international friendly, which they won, against their Angolan counterparts in Oshakati in March this year.Most of the boxers also took part in the Zone Six championship held in Botswana in February, at which Namibia ended seventh out of nine countries.The boxers’ head coach, Namibian Police Inspector Kennedy Muatara, told Nampa that the competition in South Africa was important to see if the training camp was successful.Although the training programme went well, the boxers struggled with toiletries, proper nutrition and still do not have a qualified doctor or physiotherapist to treat their injuries, Muatara said.He added that the boxers would need about eight tournaments to prepare well for the AAG.Muatara thanked the Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Sebastian Ndaitunga, and Nampol’s chairman of the Sports Council, Deputy Commissioner Des Shilungu, for making available their gym, equipment and coach (Muatara) to the boxers.Namibia’s participation in the international friendly competition has been made possible by Telecom Namibia with a sponsorship of N$35 688.Handing over the sponsorship yesterday, Telecom Namibia chairman Titus Haimbili said Telecom has decided to support boxing at grassroots/ amateur level from now on, after three years of assisting only professional boxers.He added that it was important to support the grassroots level in order to ensure continuity and sustainability.Said Haimbili: “It (the sponsorship) will ensure that Namibia have more (international) boxing champions in the next five years.”Also speaking at the ceremony, Telecom’s Public Relations Manager Oiva Hangula announced more sponsorships for amateur boxing in future and called on the Namibia Amateur Boxing Federation to forward their requests for assistance.The president of the Namibia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board, Kelly Nghixilufwa, thanked Telecom for the assistance, saying they are a good example to the rest of the corporate world.NampaThe Namibian boxers are: 2006 Commonwealth gold medallist Japhet Uutoni (light flyweight), Johannes Baluka Simon (flyweight), Immanuel Naindjala (bantamweight), Julius Indongo (lightweight), Mejandjae Kasuto (welterweight), Jacob Paulus (lightweight), Tobias Munihango (heavyweight).The boxers have been in a training camp since the beginning of April and have fought in one other international friendly, which they won, against their Angolan counterparts in Oshakati in March this year.Most of the boxers also took part in the Zone Six championship held in Botswana in February, at which Namibia ended seventh out of nine countries.The boxers’ head coach, Namibian Police Inspector Kennedy Muatara, told Nampa that the competition in South Africa was important to see if the training camp was successful.Although the training programme went well, the boxers struggled with toiletries, proper nutrition and still do not have a qualified doctor or physiotherapist to treat their injuries, Muatara said.He added that the boxers would need about eight tournaments to prepare well for the AAG.Muatara thanked the Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Sebastian Ndaitunga, and Nampol’s chairman of the Sports Council, Deputy Commissioner Des Shilungu, for making available their gym, equipment and coach (Muatara) to the boxers.Namibia’s participation in the international friendly competition has been made possible by Telecom Namibia with a sponsorship of N$35 688.Handing over the sponsorship yesterday, Telecom Namibia chairman Titus Haimbili said Telecom has decided to support boxing at grassroots/ amateur level from now on, after three years of assisting only professional boxers.He added that it was important to support the grassroots level in order to ensure continuity and sustainability.Said Haimbili: “It (the sponsorship) will ensure that Namibia have more (international) boxing champions in the next five years.”Also speaking at the ceremony, Telecom’s Public Relations Manager Oiva Hangula announced more sponsorships for amateur boxing in future and called on the Namibia Amateur Boxing Federation to forward their requests for assistance.The president of the Namibia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board, Kelly Nghixilufwa, thanked Telecom for the assistance, saying they are a good example to the rest of the corporate world.Nampa