Sunshine boxers gearing up for April 10
By Michael Uugwanga
SOME of the country’s top professional boxers at the MTC Nestor ‘Sunshine’ Tobias Fitness and Boxing Academy have been working hard inside the gym ahead of the academy’s first boxing bonanza slated for April 10 at the Windhoek Country Club Resort and Casino.
The boxing bonanza will also see a total of 12 other bouts featuring local and foreign fighters and it will be a combination of boxers from gyms across the country, not only from the MTC Sunshine stable.
Confidente Sport visited the academy at its gym at the Katutura Youth Complex in Windhoek last Saturday to get an update on how the boxers are feeling on their returns inside the ring for the first time this year under Covid-19 regulations.
The main bout will see Paulinus ‘John John’ Ndjolonimus and Anthony Jarman battle it out for the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa Super Middleweight title at the event dubbed, ‘Together as one part 3 boxing bonanza’.
The boxers said they are ready, fully focused and hoping to have a successful few months to come, with their ultimate goal being to win every fight that comes their way.
Long-serving coach at the academy Siegfried SBK Kaperu, a former professional boxer himself before retiring in 2007, said he is happy with the commitment from the pugilists and that they are ready for any challenge at hand.
Kaperu has therefore sent out a strong warning to boxers from other stables that this year his boxers mean business.
“Undoubtedly and I am sure that the boxers are ready because we started long time back with this training. Seriously and honestly speaking I do not see any problem and whoever comes (opponents) will pay the price and it will be bad because we know that there are now technical errors happening in boxing, especially in Namibia with certain individuals but we do not care about that .The only thing that we have to do is to prove them wrong that we are still here to stay and we will keep on doing boxing. We will eat from boxing and drink from boxing.”
Ndjolonimus also said that he is going to teach his opponent a boxing lesson.
“As you can see it is the third month and we started with training in the beginning of the year. It is a good preparation for me as I have a good training camp with my coach. We have no problem and we are good. This guy (the oppenent) we are going to teach him and his coach a big lesson,” said Ndjolonimus.
Another exciting boxer Charles Shinima who is in the Super-Welterweight division has made no secret that his ultimate dream is to fight former WBO Africa Welterweight champion Bethuel Ushona, who was in 2014 a mandatory challenger for the WBO Welterweight world title.
Shinima is preparing himself against Malawian boxer Chikondi Makawa after joining MTC Sunshine last year.
“Being at MTC Sunshine has been good and a new experience comparing to where I come from because here there are a lot of techniques and you can see that I am improving. I can also see the change since moving to this gym.
“I cannot deny that I am one of the best boxers in the country. I was aiming to fight Tyson (Ushona) but now I do not know what his status is, whether he is still active or not but I am calling on him for a fight,” said Shinima.
Nestor Thomas who will be making his professional debut in the bantamweight division said he will go out in full swing come April 10 when he faces his opponent.
“I am from Swakopmund and this will be my first time that I will be fighting under MTC Sunshine as a professional. I joined the academy because in Swakopmund it’s very hard to get fights. Training has been well as the coach has been teaching me new techniques. Surely I see myself as the future champion in the division,” said Thomas.
Sebastianus Natanael, a super-featherweight boxer is preparing for a mouthwatering clash against Zimbabwean boxer Jeremiah Mhere.
“First I want to thank MTC the sponsor and Sunshine academy for making this event possible. I am mentally and physically fit and ready to get back inside the ring,” said Natanael.