Fighters set to open competitive year

Six Namibians are headed to Serbia for the junior and senior International Mixed Martial Arts Federations (IMMAF) World Championships, which will take place from 11 to 17 February at the Stark Arena in Belgrade.The fighters hailing from the Sousa Studio in Windhoek are: 25-year-old Veja Hinda, who is also the African champion; 25-year-old Geraldo Bok, 23-year-old Arno Jacobs, 24-year-old Damian Muller as well as Ronaldo Feris and Stefan Gilge, who are both 19.The team has been training throughout the festive season, with featherweight fighter Hinda saying they have been working twice a day with coach Carlos de Sousa.“Things are going well and we are fresh. I saw some videos of my competitors, but I’m not too worried about that and don’t bother myself with them. My coach will share the game plan and I will just execute,” he added.The African featherweight champion said the pressure of being a champ pushes him to work hard as a lot of people are watching and following his progress.Hinda - an LLB degree holder from the University of Namibia - further said he wants to do more in the martial arts industry before he starts practicing law.He will put his all into the competition, he said, adding that fans can expect a lot from him.Namibia&#039;s bestAnother fighter, Arno Jacob - who is dubbed &#039;the next best thing in the strawweight division&#039; - said it doesn’t matter where you come from, as long as you know where you are going.He fights for all the children who have no one to support them, he said, and encouraged every boy and girl with a dream to keep pushing and believing in themselves.According to coach De Sousa, the team is the best Namibia has to offer as they have proven themselves.Close to 500 fighters from 60 countries will be participating in the competition, with one division boasting about 16 fighters, he said.He further highlighted the progress the sport has made in the country, while admitting that there is still work to be done.Taking our time“We are taking our time to develop the sport and to groom the fighters. Hinda got offered a professional contract, but we turned it down because I want him to fight at the World Championship as this will open more doors for him.“Some of the best scouts in the world are also expected to be in the mix and so far, word of our talented fighters is going around after we gave some of the best in the world a hiding at the African Championship.“It’s not an easy road and so far we have been doing things privately, but now we really need the corporate world to support us,” De Sousa added.The squad is expected to leave Namibia around 10 February in order to give the fighters time to acclimate to the cold Serbian weather.

Fighters set to open competitive year

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-07

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Fighters set to open competitive year

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-07

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