AMATEUR boxers Mathias Hamunyela and Jonas Junias missed their flight to Germany Tuesday evening because of unpaid subsistence and travelling allowances from the Namibia Boxing Federation (NBF).
The two boxers are supposed to compete in the 2017 Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) World Boxing Championships in Hamburg, Germany from 25 August to 03 September.
Speaking to Nampa on Wednesday, NBF president Benjamin Rebang said the team was ready to travel but the boxers refused to leave because they did not have pocket money.
“At this point and time as a federation we need to sit and see what is the way forward, because these boys did not want to travel empty handed.
“But as a federation we have no funds in our account because we gave them the little that we had which they used up for their food,” he said.
Rebang said the boxers, who were granted national colours by the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) on Monday, are not demanding for a specific amount of subsistence and travel but just an allowance.
If they get funds from the commission or any other organisation they will still travel to Germany as the competition will only start on Friday, he said.
NSC chief administrator Freddy Mwiya said the boxers had no reason to cancel their trip because they received funds from the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) for their travel.
“I was surprised last night when the boxers were not on the plane and as a commission we need to sit the boxer down and discuss this indiscipline. Nobody is bigger than the sport.
“These boxers received an amount of US$250 (N$3 300) from the NNOC and we paid for everything to the value of N$125 000. All they had to do was travel and compete for their country,” he said.
Approached for comment by this agency, Hamunyela confirmed they were still in the country because they had obstacles with their travel allowances.
He said they would still travel if their tickets to Germany, were rebooked.
Meanwhile Junias, told this news agency he had travelled back to Swakopmund but was also ready to travel to the competition.
Hamunyela and Junias who were granted national colours by the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) on Monday, have represented the country before at the 2016 Olympic Games (but did not do well) and 2015 All Africa Games, where both won silver medals in the 49kg and 64kg categories, respectively.
In 2014, Junias won a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. – Nampa
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