Namibia etched its name in history over the past weekend, securing its first-ever bronze medal at the International Mixed Martial Arts (IMMAF) World Championship in Abu Dhabi.

Namibia sent four promising fighters to the recently concluded championship: Yordanis Hernandez Sampre (17) in the bantamweight division, Waylon Beukes (15) in the 57 kilogrammes lightweight division, and Shange Kamwi (17). 

For most of these young athletes, it was their debut on the world stage. 

Despite pouring their hearts out throughout the tournament, Stefan Kuhn managed to clinch the bronze medal after defeating Nikolozi Dzamashvili in the 97-kilogramme heavyweight division.

Carlos De Soussa, the head coach of Team Namibia at the tournament, praised his fighters for their incredible display. 

“It was the first time for most of them, fighting against experienced opponents who are exposed to high levels of equipment and training facilities. However, we gave them a run for their money at the event,” he said.

He added: “I am proud of the boys. We managed to clinch a bronze medal, which is Namibia’s first-ever bronze medal at the World Championship. That is a great sign and shows that with resources, the team could achieve major things,” he stated. 

Chief administrator of the Namibia Sport Commission (NSC) Freddy Mwiya applauded the team for their outstanding achievement. 

“Martial arts is one of the most rapidly growing sports in the country. They have always been trendsetters in international competitions,” he stated. 

“They have won medals at a continental level. It was just a matter of time before they collected a medal on the global stage. That’s what they did this weekend. I am proud of the boys for flying the country’s flag very high. As a country, we are entirely behind all their success,” he remarked.

– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na