Tjombe stole my boxers: ‘Duran’

LOCAL boxing promoter Andreas ‘Duran’ Mwayanale claims Onkugo Promotions’ Anita Tjombe has poached ‘all’ of his top boxers, including newly crowned WBA Pan-African flyweight champion Joseph ‘Smokey’ Hilongwa.

Mwayanale, owner of Tiger Cage Boxing Academy, yesterday told The Namibian Sport that Tjombe, who manages Harry Simon, had ‘unprofessionally lured the four pugilists and a number of amateurs to her den with promises of more money and fights’. He said Tjombe had instructed the boxers to refrain from any contact with him or risk being booted from her camp. Apart from Hilongwa, lightweight boxer Chris Ukelo, welterweight Lukas Ndafoluma, and featherweight Tommy Nakashimba have stayed away from training since January 17, he said. Tjombe’s conduct will bring conflict in the boxing fraternity, having previously also been accused of taping up Nestor ‘Sunshine’ Tobias’s boxers. Recently Tjombe had demanded that Tobias cancel Vikapita Meroro’s WBC Intercontinental light-heavyweight title fight in March and rather fight Simon.’Onkugo Promotions stole all of my boxers,’ Mwayanale, who only had gentlemen’s agreements with the fighters, said. ‘What Anita (Tjombe) is doing is very unprofessional. ‘She didn’t approach me. I don’t think the industry will grow if we go on this way.’He further claimed Simon had resorted to manhandling him in a bid to get Hilongwa to sign for Onkugo Promotions late last year.Ironically, Hilongwa won his first international title as an undercard in Simon’s brief ‘return’ fight against Tanzanian Rashid Matumla on December 4.Tjombe, who has vowed never to speak to The Namibian Sport again, was not available for comment.’I just told him (Simon) that he should not hijack my boxer and he wanted to physically attack me,’ said Mwayanale. Mwayanale branded Hilongwa a traitor after he had helped revive his once fledgeling career upon his return from a lacklustre stint in the United States of America in 2006. Hilongwa had two years earlier ditched Tobias in search of greener pastures. ‘I sacrificed my relationship with other promoters when I started to train him (Hilongwa) and then he just left without saying anything,’ lamented Mwayanale. ‘Nestor warned me about him.’