… Soweto Boxing Club means real business
WINDHOEK – Boxing trainer and co-owner of the Soweto Boxing Club & Fitness Academy, Tobias Nashilongo, is widely known as one of boxing’s best trainers and cornermen among current and past champions.
Nashilongo’s protégés included the likes of Tyson Ushona, Martin Haikali and Samuel Kapapu, amongst many others, but like so many involved in the sport, his beginnings were decidedly humble as well.
Nashilongo started as a professional boxing coach in 2007, the same year he established the Soweto Boxing Club. New Era Sport recently paid the boxing club a brief visit and witnessed firsthand as trainer Nashilongo took young would-be boxers through the ropes on the finer points of trading leather.
Holed up at the in Multipurpose Youth Centre football stadium, the Soweto Boxing Club & Fitness Academy hosts more than 60 amateur and professional boxers, including youngsters, many of whom have adopted monikers such as Hitman, Tyson and The Rock, in great admiration of their boxing heroes.
The club is widely accredited for the success stories of Bethuel ‘Tyson’ Uushona (WBO Africa welterweight champion) and Martin Haikali (former WBO Africa lightweight champion) amongst others, but Nashilongo, a former welterweight national champion himself, kept a cool head and remains adamant that more is still to come for the academy as their objective is to be one of the biggest boxing centres grooming youngsters at all levels, through hard work and dedication.
“I became a good boxer, at amateur and professional level while studying in Cuba. I have been in boxing for many years now and I know what a boxer needs and wants in order to excel,” says Nashilongo as he passionately narrates how he got involved in boxing, the history and the establishment of the club.
‘’The youngsters have the passion for boxing and trust me, these youngsters you saw today are ready to become world champions – all they need is just good equipment and proper financial support from any good Samaritan. These boys will be Namibia’s future representatives at the Olympic games or even the All Africa games to mention a few, that’s why I feel government and the corporate world should throw their support behind these youngsters because we cannot groom and provide opportunities for them internationally, it’s financially just not possible.’’
By Otniel Hembapu