Iivula-Ithana applauds Salute Boxing Academy

Iivula-Ithana applauds Salute Boxing AcademyUushona promises the best for 2017 Former sport minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana has called on the private sector to meet government halfway in funding sport. KAINO NGHITONGO



Former minister of sport Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana has applauded the Salute Boxing Academy for aiming to meet the government halfway in sports development.

Iivula-Ithana, who is the academy’s patron, welcomed the team to her office yesterday when they presented the WBF world title belt that was recently won by Bethuel ‘Tyson’ Uushona.

She was pleased to welcome the champion and the academy that, stating that she was happy that the academy was involved in moulding the youth.

“I am very pleased that one of your objectives is really to mould the young men and women on the street to become proper human beings as our society is faced with so many things.

“What you are doing by meeting government halfway is very important and this is also the slogan of government that we as citizens should meet government halfway because government alone cannot do everything,” she said.

She also pointed out that being a sportsman does not just mean winning all the time, but “moulding character which very important for society.”

Looking back to where the country finds itself now, Iivula-Ithana said the days when she was the minister of sport after independence were more of coming up with policies and less of implementation.

She added that despite the many areas that government has to pump in much of its resources, it has not forgotten about sport although it is just not one of the areas that require urgent attention.

She however called on the public sector to meet government halfway in funding sports and also the public to start attending sport events.

Salute’s spokesperson, Fredrich Nghiyolwa, explained that their visit to the patron was to hand over a world title from the recently held boxing bonanza.

He said the bonanza was fruitful and “for us it is a remarkable achievement”.

Nghiyolwa mentioned that Salute would like to meet the government halfway and “we are here to make sure that we contribute largely to the development of Namibia through the sport of boxing”.

He also used the platform to thank the boxing fans who supported their boxing bonanza as well as their sponsors.

World champion Uushona said: “It has been a long road but I can say finally we are here and with the support of the public and government we will get even further.

“My only promise is that come next year we will take boxing to the next level.”