• Sport

Golden Boxing Promotions set for big Katutura debut

• 1 Hour Ago

Namibia's professional boxing scene will welcome a new promotion this weekend when Golden Boxing Promotions stages its inaugural tournament at the YetuYama Centre in Katutura on Saturday.

The CastleBet-sponsored event will feature eight professional bouts, with Swakopmund middleweight Martin Kambalili facing Ondangwa's Gabriel Shimweefeleni in the eight-round main event.

Golden Boxing Promotions promoter Tobias Naule said both camps have prepared well for what promises to be an exciting middleweight contest.

"Both camps have been preparing very well. We are looking at a middleweight fight and these are big guys," Naule said.

Kambalili, who comes from the Swakopmund Boxing Club, has particularly caught Naule's attention, with the promoter believing the boxer has the potential to reach the highest level of the sport.

"Martin Kambalili is a boxer that I am looking to personally see his journey grow, get him to the world stage. He's a boxer with great potential. He's someone that we really need to groom and see because he has so much potential and so much to give," Naule said.

Kambalili will have a tough challenge against Shimweefeleni, who represents the northern parts of the country and hails from Ondangwa.

Naule expects the contrasting backgrounds and ambitions of the two fighters to produce an entertaining main event.

"I can assure the fans that it will be a very exciting fight. He has a bright future," he said of Kambalili.

Building from grassroots

CastleBet representative Gift Phiri said the company's involvement in the event forms part of its broader commitment to supporting young people and developing sporting talent from grassroots level.

"We want to be involved in the livelihood of the people. For us to see development at a national and global level, it means that we have to start with grassroots," Phiri said.

He explained that CastleBet's relationship with Naule began while he was still promoting amateur boxing, with the company supporting his amateur tournaments before backing his move into professional boxing promotion.

"Tobias will testify that when we started a partnership, we started with amateur tournaments. The idea is that we see potential in young people," Phiri said.

He added that Naule's own background as a former boxer gives him an understanding of what young fighters need to turn their abilities into professional careers.

"Because he has passion, why not come on board and support and develop these people so that, at the end of the day, when they make Namibia proud, we at CastleBet are proud because we are part and parcel of the journey."

With the support of CastleBet and eight bouts on the programme, Golden Boxing Promotions' first professional event promises an important night for Namibia's emerging boxing talent.

The action gets underway at 18:00 on Saturday, with Kambalili and Shimweefeleni set to close the evening in what Naule believes will be a fight worth watching.