Celebrities trade leather for a cause
The MTC Knockout project, an initiative to create awareness of gender violence in society took place on Saturday evening, when celebrities slugged it out exhibition-boxing style during their three-rounds bout of a minute each.
Central to the theme, the project was about the creation of awareness, the spurring of a national debate around gender violence with the ultimate objective to raise funds for support and complimenting of various projects that deal with gender violence programmes.
Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer Tim Ekandjo, on behalf of MTC said “It was never about boxing, it was about raising awareness on a matter so serious that corporates, individual citizens, actors and players in the gender violence space needed to do something unique and different to bring across a point and a new direction and change”.
Boxing was merely used as a vehicle to this project given that it is the second largest sport code in the country,” he said.
“In an often divided world, sport is a unique and important connective tissue that bind people together to take collective action against social ills such as gender violence,” hence boxing was chosen.
“Seeing the venue packed with Namibians from all walks of life and society was the ultimate setting to send through a message of hope, a message of love and continuous preaching that as a society we should not condone violence against the weak and vulnerable”.
Testament to the name of the project, it rained knockouts on the evening with many celebrities who are new to the ring being send to the canvas and dropped in the first rounds. Mapps Kapofi set the bar high when he downed Mufaro Nesongano. Sam Shivute also floored Max T in a one-sided affair of trading leather at the stroke of the first round.
News anchor Theo Ishuna sang louder than Jossy Joss in a heavyweight contest while Sunny Boy also rose tall against DJ Cheeze. Amos Kambonde landed heavy punches to gospel sensation D Naff to end his night but a no-contest was ruled by the referee. Paul da Prince and KP Illest ended their bout with a draw. Dokkies Schmidt and Paul Shipanga also registered a draw while heavyweight Tate Buti was no match for Michael Vermuelen. Jobs Amupanda delivered the last knockout in the main bout against Johnny JJD Doeseb.
While this was new and exciting content to viewers who watched live on the national broadcaster from home, MTC thanked the sponsors NASRIA, Bank of Namibia, Metropolitan, Social Security Commission, MVA Fund, Standard Bank, NAMDIA, Erongo Marine Enterprises, National Housing Enterprise and all Namibians who purchased tickets and corporate tables for the event.
“If it means we must do knockout projects until the end of time, we will do so against all social ills in our society,” said Ekandjo.
