Analyst and boxers weigh foreign failuresA boxer has to be confident and earn as much points as possible to win a fight away from home. Fighting away from home is tough says Simon and Ambunda 0 Analysts and former boxing world champions have insisted that more has to be done to prepare Namibian boxers for fights outside the country.This comes after several of the country''s top professional boxers failed to secure victories on their travels in the last five years.
In May 2015, Vikapita ''Beast Master'' Meroro failed to win his bout against Dmitri Kudryashov in Russia.
Wilberforce Shihepo suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Callum Johnson in a vacant light heavyweight commonwealth bout in Manchester in September this year.
Sacky Shikukutu was the latest to taste the bitterness of defeat on foreign soil after losing to South Africa''s Chris Van Heerden in a vacant WBA Pan African welterweight title bout, about a fort night ago.
Boxers like Immanuel Naidjala, Paulus Ambunda and Paulus Moses have also lost world title bouts outside the country in the last five years.
Speaking to the Namibian Sun yesterday, former WBO middleweight World Champion Harry Simon said Namibian boxers fail to win in foreign countries because of absent international expertise in their camps.
“I do believe that our boxers have to go well prepared when fighting outside the country because it is not as easy as it is when they are fighting on home soil.
“One of the things I would advise promoters to do is hiring foreign trainers especially of that country they are fighting in, to get a different feel and training exposure than what they are used to.
“Some boxing promotions do have enough money and that is why they must try and invest enough money as possible to see success from their boxers,” said Simon.
The boxer further added that it takes courage for someone to fight outside because the atmosphere is always hostile.
He advised boxers to always try and score more points if they are not able to send their opponents down to the canvas during a bout.
Simon maintained that fighting away from home becomes harder given that judges often rule in favour of the boxer fighting at home when the fight is closely contested on most occasions.
Paulus ''The Rock'' Ambunda also shared the same views as Simon stating that it is important that a boxer gets international exposure from an early age in their career if they are to make progress in fights outside the country.
He also believes that the time frame boxers are given for fights outside the country has been one of the main reasons why success overseas has been hard to come by lately.
“The other thing I would add is that we are not full time boxers like other boxers in different countries who are always at the gym.
“Some of the guys only have one training session whilst boxers in some of the countries make the gym their home on a daily basis.
“I think it is also about time that we start getting less intimidated when fighting outside the country.
“However, I do believe that we have the best trainers and promoters in the country and that is why we must not feel afraid of giving it our best in and outside Namibia,” Ambunda reiterated.
Secretary-General of the Boxing and Wrestling Control Board, Joe Kaperu had his own views on why things have gone south for Namibian boxers in foreign fights lately.
The veteran boxing official feels that the only way Namibian boxers can do better outside the country is when sports sponsorships are increased.
“I believe that it is important that we understand that sports in general is underfunded and this affects us all.
“The problem is that our boxers need more money when travelling so that they can go as early as possible in order to adapt to the conditions and other important things.
“They can only do that when they have the resources and that has currently been the biggest problem in our sports,” Kaperu noted.
JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA