OTJIWARONGO – Amateur boxers at Otjiwarongo are training hard in preparation for the MTC Sunshine Regional Cup this weekend.
The event is set to take place at the Swanevelder Hall here from Friday till Sunday.
About 12 amateur boxers have been training for this event at the Otjiwarongo Amateur Boxing Academy for the past two months.
One such fighter, 16-year-old Wellem Williams, cannot wait to get into the ring.
“I am a talented boxer; I want to showcase my talent,” he enthused.
Otja Tjihero (23), who has been boxing since 2013, said he will use the tournament as a springboard to a brighter future, while Jeremiah Vaino (32) said he will crush any boxer standing in his way to success at the tournament.
Vaino wants to turn professional soon.
The chairperson of the Otjozondjupa Regional Boxing Federation, Onesmus Kalipi, told Nampa on Monday that the 10 best amateur boxers from each region as well as individual clubs, such as the defence and police, will slug it out at the event.
The tournament is aimed at creating a platform to identify budding boxers with the potential to join bigger clubs and become professionals.
“The amateur boxers need to grow their careers, and this is their opportunity to come and showcase their talent,” he said.
The tournament has been staged in Windhoek for the past four years as part of the Nestor Sunshine Tobias Boxing and Fitness Academy, sponsored by mobile phone service provider MTC.
The boxers will receive gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Entrance is free.
Meanwhile, the Otjiwarongo Amateur Boxing Academy acquired a hall at the Paresis Sports Stadium from the town council last month.
The academy was launched in March 2016, and has been holding training sessions in the open parking area of the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service’s offices at Otjiwarongo.
–Nampa
