By Kuvee Kangueehi WINDHOEK The National Boxing Team left yesterday morning for Botswana to participate in the Zone Six Championship. Prior to their departure, the team’s head coach, Kenneth Muatara, said the team was ready to compete at the sub-regional tournament. Muatara said the boxers have been spending long hours in the gym and are hoping to come back with some medals. He noted that once again South Africa, Zambia and host Botswana will be the favourites to collect most of the medals. He added that Namibia has been doing well and last year won silver and thatthey are planning to go one place better. At the same occasion, the deputy minister of National Youth Service, Sport and Culture, Pohamba Shifeta, said the boxers should use this tournament to prepare themselves properly for the All Africa Games in July. He said the boxers should conduct themselves in a respectable manner as they are representing the country. “If you behave badly you will damage the image of the country, but if you behave well you will enhance the image of the country.” Shifeta also congratulated Ali Nuumbembe who won the Commonwealth title on Friday and said Nuumbembe had set an example for all the boxers to follow. The team manager Kandjii once again called on private companies to sponsor boxing. He said the boxers were performing well and could reach greater heights if they could get financial assistance. The boxers who left are: – Jafet ‘Namibian Lion ‘Uutoni (48kg), the current African champion and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, will participate in the light flyweight division; – Johannes ‘Baluka’ Simon (51kg), will fight in the fly division and is the silver medalist in the SADC Zone 6 Youth Games as well as the ABC Zone Six, Senior Championships; – Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda (56kg), will fight in the Bantam division and is an ABC Zone 6 gold medalist; – Andreas Kapapu (57kg) is a Namibian champion and will fight in the Featherweight division; – Another Namibian champion, Julius Munyelele Indongo (60kg), will contest in the light division; – Actofel Shivute (64kg), an ABC Zone 6 gold medalist, will fight in the light welterweight division; – In the welterweight division, Namibia will be represented by Desmond ‘Ngeama’ Kasuto (69kg), also an ABC Zone 6 gold medalist; – Titus Joseph (75kg), a Namibian champion, will fight in the middleweight division; – Namibian champion, Peter Shimhanda (81kg), will fight in the light heavy division; – Trevor Jacobs (91kg) will contest in the heavy division; – Tobias Mabuta Munihango (+91kg), an ABC Zone 6 silver medalist, will contest in the super heavyweight division. Ambrossius Kandjii is the team manager, while Kenneth Muatara is the team coach deputized by Jacob Gariseb. Thimo Haikonda, Mathew Ndeshitila and Patema Kandjego went as judges and referees, while Joe Kaperu is ABC Zone technical delegate. Dr Rojas is the team doctor. The tournament started yesterday and will end on Saturday.