Kilimanjaro boxing bonanza set for May
… enters new partnership with NABF
WITH their opening event for the year, scheduled for next month, leading amateur boxing stable in the country MTC Kilimanjaro Boxing Club (KBC) has promised boxing enthusiasts an exhilarating boxing bonanza.
The event will be held at Ondangwa Trade Fair on 4 May, and it will see all boxing clubs in the regions, namely Oshana, Omusati, Oshikoto and Ohangwena coming together to compete for top honours.
According to the founder of the boxing club, Joseph Bernhard, the event will see more than 40 amateur boxers trade leather.
The chairman added that they expect the event to be exciting because it will serve as a qualifying event for the national championship in October.
Bernard said Oshana region is known for having the best boxers, and it is their mandate, as a leading stable, to ensure the region retains it by winning more medals at the upcoming event.
“We are currently busy putting everything together for our first and opening event of the year, which will take place at Ondangwa. This event will attract boxers from all the surrounding regions, with a particular focus on Oshana. It serves as an excellent opportunity for us to select a team that will represent us in the national championship event in Rundu this year.
“I strongly believe that winning a medal for your region is the greatest achievement a boxer can aspire to, and I encourage all potential boxers to come forward and participate in the qualifiers,” he said.
In terms of preparation of the boxers, he stated that they have been diligently training in the gym, ensuring they are in optimal shape for the upcoming event.
“I firmly believe that, as a boxer, you must remain prepared at all times, and that’s precisely what they have been doing for the past few months. I can attest that my fighters have been dedicated to their training regimen ever since our last event in December last year,” he affirmed.
Meanwhile, Bernhard, who is also the chairman of KBC, revealed that they have entered into a significant collaboration with the Namibia Amateur Boxing Federation (NABF) to bolster talent identification efforts for major qualifying events.
Bernhard said this partnership aims to address the challenges faced by the federation in selecting capable boxers for prestigious tournaments.
He further expressed his eagerness about the agreement, highlighting its potential to elevate Namibia’s presence in the global boxing arena.
“We are proud to partner with NABF to support their initiatives in hosting successful events; our experience in nurturing boxing talent positions us, as valuable partners, in aiding the federation’s quest to identify and prepare deserving athletes for major competitions, including the Olympics,” he said.
NABF secretary general Petrus Kashongo said they had a conversation last week with Bernhard, “but as the NABF, we will only provide a statement tomorrow (today) after we have gathered input from the executive members regarding this new initiative”.