JULIUS Indongo underlined his status as one of Namibia’s most exciting boxers when he defended his WBO Africa junior welterweight title in style with an explosive performance against Fabian Lyimo of Tanzania last month.
He sent Lyimo crashing to the canvas with a huge hook in the first round and although the Tanzanian managed to beat the count, the referee stepped in to stop the fight after only 2 minutes 22 seconds.
It was Indongo’s 19th successive victory as a professional boxer while he is now ranked fourth in the world by the WBO – the highest of all of Namibia’s boxers at the moment.
Indongo’s rise has been remarkable as he had to overcome numerous setbacks in and out of the ring along the way to reach the top in his sport.
He grew up in northern Namibia in Onumutai village close to Ongwediva and although he was a keen follower of boxing in his youth, it was only in 1998 at the age of 15 that the bug bit. He attended a boxing competition at a neighbouring school and was instantly hooked.
“I attended a boxing tournament at Iipumbu Secondary School and I was instantly hooked so when I returned to my school I just thought I had to go back to Iipumbu. I just told myself once I pass Grade 10 I will go to Iipumbu to start boxing,” he said.
He lived up to his word and joined Iipumbu in 2001 in Grade 11 and his boxing career took off in style as he won his first 10 fights in a row. He was selected for the Oshana regional team that participated at the Junior National Championships where he won the best boxer of the tournament award.
After that success he started fighting as a senior boxer and his meteoric rise continued the next year when he beat Namibia’s future WBO bantamweight world champion Paulus Ambunda.
“The national amateur team was preparing for the Zone 6 Championships so they came to fight the Oshana team in the Far North and I took on Ambunda in a 51kg fight. It was an amazing night – the fight went very fast and I didn’t even get tired. Ambunda wanted to come in but I was just hitting and running and jabbing and he hardly touched me,” he said.
That victory put Indongo on the map and he was invited to the senior National Championships, but this time another boxer who would reach great heights – Immanuel Naidjala – stole the limelight, as he beat both Indongo and Ambunda to claim the national title, although Indongo still disputes the outcome to this day.
“Imms was favoured then, Ambunda and I both beat him but we never won on the judges scorecard and Imms won the title,” he said.
Indongo completed his schooling in 2002 and moved to Windhoek the next year when he excelled at the National Championships to win the 54kg gold medal. He started working at the Namibian Police, but his career took a setback when he was struck down by tuberculosis which put him out of action for two years.
“I was very sick and I did not know what the problem was. It started at school already and they said it was malaria but later it became worse. I was coughing all the time for two years,” he said.
He finally recovered and by 2006 was once again in the thick of things. He won the 57kg title at the national championships in Keetmanshoop and then represented Namibia at the Zone 6 Championships where he suffered a dubious first round defeat to a boxer from Swaziland.
“The fight was a draw on the judges scorecards but then the referee had to choose a winner and he chose the Swazi boxer,” he said.
By 2007 Indongo made the national team that competed at the All Africa Games in Algeria, and he made a fine debut winning his opening two fights before losing to a Tunisian opponent in the quarterfinals.
“His tactics were just better, but that’s where I started learning about mental toughness. You cant just throw punches without any vision, you must plan first before you throw a punch,” he said.
By 2008 Indongo fulfilled a dream by qualifying for the Olympic Games when he won the bronze medal at the African qualifiers in Windhoek, but his Olympic debut in Beijing was a big disappointment
He fractured his right hand in a warmup fight shortly before the Olympics but despite being injured he decided he could not miss the opportunity.
“I couldn’t use my right hand but I just decided I had to fight, there was no way I could miss the Olympics. I managed to see out the first round but then the referee stopped the fight,” he said.
Indongo turned professional in 2009 and made rapid progress winning his first fights with ease. By his seventh fight in 2011 he beat Samuel Kapapu to win the national lightweight title and by his 11th fight in October 2012, he beat James Onyango of Kenya to win the WBO Africa super lightweight title. He defended the title a few times, but strangely only received the belt the first time when he beat Ibrahima Class of Tanzania in March last year.
“They said it was something to do with sanctioning fees not being paid to the WBO, but I only got the belt last year after defending it a few times,” he said.
One of those fights was against South Africa’s former world champion Kaizer Mabuza where Indongo showed great courage to come back from a fifth round knockout to beat Mabuza on points.
Since then he has racked up another four victories, and with the WBO now ranking him fourth in the world he could be in line for a shot at Terence Crawford’s of the United States’ world title. He said if he gets the chance he is sure of making the most of it.
“I’m sure I could become the world champion if I get a chance because I work hard, I focus and I always give my best. I’ve seen Crawford fight and I don’t think I’d have a problem against him. He’s not that fast, he’s just sharp in mind, but I am taller and I have a longer reach,” he said.
One on one with Julius Indongo
In Windhoek on 12 February 1983.
What schools did you attend?
Okadila Primary School, Onumutai Combined School and Iipumbu Senior Secondary School.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
