WINDHOEK – Namibia’s latest boxing sensation Sakaria ‘Desert Storm’ Lukas at the age of 25 is a young man with the world at his feet. Determined to follow in the footsteps of his heroes and role models Hitman Moses, Paulus Ambunda and Harry Simon, amongst others, Lukas is a man on a mission to put an even larger Namibian boxing footprint on the African continent and further abroad.
Well, the ‘Desert Storm’ gets a chance to prove his credentials and mettle when he takes on South African opponent Thembani Hobyani at the Windhoek Country Club Resort and Casino tonight – or otherwise whether he is just a downgraded gale.
Lukas, who is still unbeaten in 10 fights, will lock horns with, according to the foreign media, an equally determined Hobyani in a featherweight 10-rounder in which the sparks will definitely be flying, in the main bout of the “Face Off With Desert Storm” boxing bonanza which will also see other upcoming boxers showing off their god-given combative skills.
Tonight’s spectacle will serve as a ‘now or never’ opportunity for the youthful hard-punching Lukas, as a likely victory against Hobyani should be the start of bigger things to come and a gateway to bigger fights, but that’s only if Lukas can rise to the occasion and upend his opponent from acoss the Orange, who comes into the fight with a record of 4 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw from 9 bouts.
In other action, middleweight boxer Walter Kutondokwa confronts Thomas Shangula over four rounds, while, Nataneal Kamati will take on Ntando Sibanda from Zimbabwe in the featherweight category also over four rounds of what also promises to be explosions going off left, right and centre.
Immanuel Andreki will also be in the mix of things when he trades blows with Lucky Handivele for top honours in the junior lightweight division over six rounds, while in the junior welterweight division Steven Shimbonde will rumble against Vatileni Theofelus over four rounds. Also in the junior welterweight division, Emmanuel Mungandjela will be aiming to extend his single win count when he takes on Kennedy Kamati over four rounds.
Still smarting from a defeat at the hands of Jatootora ‘Sting’ Tjingaveta, Samuel Kapapu will again be back in action when he confronts Tawanda Chigwida from Zimbabwe over eight rounds in the lightweight division, in a bid to restore some lost confidence. Nakathila Jeremia and David Kashiti’s fight will conclude the night’s proceedings when they take on each other in a junior lightweight four-rounder.