WINDHOEK – Namibia’s fast-rising boxing star Mikka ‘Silent Assassin’ Shonena will be back in action to defend his WBO African welterweight crown against Tanzania’s Mfaume Mfaume at the Windhoek Country Club on 30 November.
Shonena’s fight against Mfaume will headline the MTC Sunshine Boxing Fiesta, which will also see the likes of Harry Simon Junior, Onesmus Nekundi, Paulinus Paulus and Max Ipinge and other top prospects all in action on the night.
Shonena remains undefeated and currently boasts a record of 12 wins from the same number of professional bouts and will be facing the tough Mfaume who holds 12 wins, three loses and two draws from 17 fights.
Officially launching the boxing bonanza yesterday in the capital, leading local boxing promoter Nestor Tobias said: “We are going all out to make this a successful night. We want to develop these guys to be world class fighters, hence, we give them these fights. When they fight for the world championships, they then put the country’s name on the world map.”
Harry Simon Jr will face Dominicus Weyulu in the junior welterweight category over six rounds. Max Ipinge will fight Joseph Hihangwa in the junior middleweight over four rounds, while Timoteus Shuulula will face Niikoti Johannes in a featherweight bout scheduled for six rounds.
Tobias called on all boxing fans to come and cheer for their favourite boxers at the bonanza that will coincide with a regional amateur championship tournament, also being organised by the academy.
Amateur boxers set for tournament
It was also announced at yesterday’s press conference that the MTC Nestor Sunshine Tobias Boxing and Fitness Academy Amateur have this year partnered with the Khomas Boxing Federation (NBF) to hosts 2018 MTC Sunshine Academy Cup between 28 November and 1 December in the capital.
Speaking at a media conference on Thursday, Jason Naule, the organiser of the tournament and president of the Khomas Boxing Federation, said all preparations are on track.
“Except for the venue, we have everything ready. The boxers from the Khomas Region are also ready to come and defend their title which they won last year in Otjiwarongo,” he explained.
He added that they are expecting all regions to participate as eight of them have already confirmed their involvement. Naule said the Namibia Defence Force (NDF) and the Namibia Police Force will also take part in the tournament.
“This is the sixth edition of the tournament and it has produced quite a number of boxers who have gone on to become professionals. We have 12 weight divisions and we expect all the regions to bring two boxers per weight division,” he noted.
John Ekongo, the Corporate Communication Specialist at MTC, at the same event said when they signed up with the academy, one of their conditions was to take care of amateur boxers.
“We did so as a way of making sure that they have a conveyer belt of youngsters coming through the amateur ranks to become professionals. As a corporate company, we want to partner with like-minded organisations who share the same vision of developing talented youths,” he said, adding that sports in Namibia is a form of employment, which helps youth take care of their families.
– Additional info: Nampa