By Carlos Kambaekwa
WINDHOEK – A quick glance at the somewhat lukewarm performance by the country’s leading professional boxers reveals a picture of slight doom for the immediate future of domestic boxing.
But Namibia’s top boxing promoter Nestor “Sunshine” Tobias has different views and is adamant his ageing boxers, whom many boxing pundits claim to have become spent forces, are far from over the hill.
Tobias, who doubles up as trainer and promoter at the same time leapt to the defence of his boxers’ indifferent showing this year.
Some of his misfiring leather traders from his reputable stable found the going tough in the paid ranks as they were made to play second fiddle to lesser opponents and made to look like beginners against what pundits believe were average opposition.
The split loss decision of formerly once beaten Bantamweight African champion Imms “Prince” Naidjala, at the hands of South African challenger Gideon Buthelezi combined with the hammering of former African champion, Bethuel “Tyson” Ushona sent alarm bells ringing, but Tobias is unfazed.
“I’ve absolutely no qualms about the performance of all my boxers so far this year, they performed perfectly well under trying circumstances. It’s one thing to lose when you are not in it, but another scenario when a professional boxer loses a fight while competing vigorously,” charged Tobias.
“Lots of people don’t seem to understand the dynamics of professional boxing. It’s not just about losing a bout, but more importantly, how a boxer fights and goes about his business in the ring – these are just some of the most essential ingredients one should consider when judging the performance of boxers”.