A six-member Namibian Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) team is hard at work as they prepare to compete in the upcoming Mixed Martial Arts World Championships to be held in Belgrade, Serbia.
Namibia will be amongst the many teams that will compete at the much-anticipated tournament for juniors and seniors set for 11 to 18 February.
The fighters are Veja Hinda, Geraldo Bok, Ronaldo Feris, Damian Müller, Arno Jacobs and Stefan Gilge. During a press conference held in the capital on Friday when the team was unveiled, coach Carlos de Sousa reflected on how the team has become one of the best in the world, saying there has been massive positive pressure from the world as well as the local MMA scene. He said the event would be one of their biggest tests yet as they will be facing stiff competition and believes the team consists of fresh and young talent who will be able to win medals at the event.
“I am proud of how Namibia has climbed the ranking in the world of MMA and how it has been now recognised as one of the teams to look forward to. Last year, our fighters competed in various competitions where we did well and made a name for ourselves.
I believe this year would be adding to what we had achieved already in the past,” said De Sousa.
The coach knows it will be a tough contest for Namibia but he is confident that fighters will do what needs to be done, saying the team looks good and all the athletes have huge potential.
Namibia is ranked 33rd out of 77 nations in the senior ranking. It is ranked third on the continent behind South Africa (10th) and Angola (16th).
On his part, Hinda, the 2022 African Championships gold medallist who is ranked in the top 10 in the world, said he is excited to be representing his country at an event of this magnitude.
“It’s always a big achievement to represent your country at a big tournament such as this, and for me, I am embracing every challenge to improve. We as a team have worked so hard preparing for this event and I believe Namibia as a whole stands a good chance of winning at this tournament,” he said. “I am aiming for gold. I have trained so hard and I know what to expect, so I believe I stand a huge chance of going for a medal.”
Hinda was mentioned in an IMMAF story, which said “2022 African Championships gold medallist Veja Hinda put the featherweight division on notice after showcasing his abilities on the IMMAF platform for the first time.”
Speaking at the same event, Namibia Sports Commission chief administrator Freddy Mwiya said that he is proud of the team as the sport code is slowly becoming big in Namibia.
“It’s one of the fastest-growing sports in Namibia and this is because of the good work that you guys have done in the past. The team won various medals at different competitions and I believe history can repeat itself winning more medals in Serbia. The response from the nation is positive and I believe we can do more,” Mwiya said.
The championships will hold six weight divisions for female athletes – from atomweight to lightweight – and 10 divisions for male athletes from strawweight to super heavyweight.
– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na