The After School Centre Boxing Club delivered an impressive performance at an international boxing friendly tournament held at the Hyath Boxing Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, last weekend.

Namibia was represented by a team of 10 boxers, accompanied by two coaches, one referee and a team manager. The competition provided a valuable platform for the young athletes to test their skills against boxers from various clubs in Johannesburg and gain international exposure.

The Namibian team consisted of Shilongo Elina, Lazarus Hainana, Elifas Imene, Fillemon Shaningwa, Foloshi Immanuel, Martin Jonas, Abraham Kalenga, Deli Twakala, Nghishekwa Abraham and Kapembe Shanika.

The team returned home with an impressive haul of six gold medals and four silver medals. Gold medals were won by Elifas Imene, Fillemon Shaningwa, Martin Jonas, Abraham Kalenga, Nghishekwa Abraham and Kapembe Shanika. Silver medals were earned by Shilongo Elina, Lazarus Hainana, Foloshi Immanuel and Deli Twakala.

Team coach Mario Deunyema praised the athletes for their dedication and outstanding performances throughout the tournament. He said the results exceeded his expectations, especially considering the strength of the South African opposition.

“The aim is to keep the kids active and provide them with more opportunities to showcase what they have been learning during training,” said Deunyema.

He added that the boxers have shown significant improvement over the past months and that their hard work is beginning to pay off.

“I was not expecting such results because I know South Africa has very tough boxers, but we managed to win six gold medals and four silver medals from 10 fighters, which is really impressive,” he said.

Deunyema noted that competitions like these are crucial for the development of young athletes, as they expose them to diverse fighting styles and higher levels of competition. He said the experience gained outside Namibia will help the boxers grow both technically and mentally.

The coach further stated that the After School Centre Boxing Club looks forward to participating in larger competitions in the future. 

However, the club remains committed to taking advantage of every available opportunity to ensure its athletes remain active, motivated and continuously improving.