Windhoek
The ongoing continental tour of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) in Africa, dubbed ‘You are the Champion’ has elicited tremendous excitement as it brings the people closer to the IBF title belts and makes them feel they are the true champions.
The November 28 clash will be one of Ndokosho’s D-Days in his boxing career, as he seeks to become the only Namibian boxer to twice reclaim the IBF/Africa title fight he won three years ago.
The tour, which aims to promote boxing as a sport of the people and a really “Sweet Science” is focuses on the SADC region, and is led by former IBF international champion Gottlieb Ndokosho and chairman of the newly formed Salute Boxing Promotion Academy Kiriata Kamanya.
Namibian boxer Joseph ‘Smokey’ Hilongwa is part of the group accompanying the president of the IBF/Africa, Onesmo Ngowi from Tanzania and vice-president, Namibian businessman Simon Andjamba.
Ndokosho, who will be fighting for the IBF Continental Africa Featherweight title on November 28 at Outapi is also using the tour to promote his upcoming fight. The rumble will be promoted by Salute Boxing Academy. Hilongwa is the IBF/Africa title contender.
IBF/Africa has resolved to provide capacity building and technical assistance to various boxing promoters in Namibia and Africa as a whole.
Traditional dance groups from the Outapi and Oshikoto regions danced to welcome the highly energised athletes from IBF/Africa and Salute Boxing Academy as the team descended on the regions for their promotional tour.
This is one many stops in the SADC region and the whole of Africa, Middle East and Persian Gulf that IBF/Africa plans to visit this year and next. The value of IBF/Africa consists in its determination to rally Africans around a single cause and that is to “make Africa the greatest continent in the whole world”.