The Kalahari Kickboxing Fight Night brought junior kickboxers from across Southern Africa to Windhoek on Saturday evening, where they competed in a series of bouts at Marua Mall.

The first Kalahari Kickboxing Fight Night took place on Saturday evening at Marua Mall in Windhoek, bringing together junior kickboxers from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zambia, and Rwanda.

The event was attended by ambassadors from the visiting countries, members of the Namibia Boxing Board, and a representative of the Namibia Sports Commission, Givean Samulandela.

The evening began with the certification of referees.

Of the 20 candidates who took part in the examination, 11 qualified, including seven Namibians.

A total of 12 bouts were scheduled for the event.

Although several fights were cancelled after opponents failed to arrive, the affected fighters were officially awarded victories.

The action began with semi-contact contests featuring three one-minute rounds with controlled contact, giving the athletes an opportunity to demonstrate their speed, skill, and technique.

The program continued with the main bouts.

Namibia's Joseph Abner faced Zimbabwe's David in the K1 contest.

Abner controlled the fight before securing a technical knockout victory in the third round.

In another bout, Junior Kayangela faced fellow Namibian Sam Mubiana. The contest ended in the second round when Kayangela withdrew, handing Mubiana the victory.

Several competitors shared their experiences of participating in the event.

Van Der Westhuizen said, "I'm really happy to be part of the first Kalahari Fight Night. It has been a great experience competing in front of the home crowd, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to represent my team."

Meanwhile, Angula stated, "The atmosphere was amazing. We've trained hard for this moment, and events like this help us grow as fighters while giving us valuable experience."

Portgieter also expressed his excitement, saying, "It's an honor to compete against athletes from different countries. This competition motivates us to keep improving and shows that kickboxing in Namibia is moving in the right direction."

Malini noted, "It feels great to be part of the first Kalahari Fight Night. We've trained hard for this opportunity, and it was exciting to compete alongside fighters from different countries. This event is helping to grow kickboxing in Namibia, and I hope there will be many more like it." SB OUT

The Kalahari Kickboxing Fight Night provided junior athletes with an opportunity to compete again.