Staff Reporter
ONGWEDIVA, Sept. 4 — Charles Shinima and Paulinus Ndjolonimus successfully defended their WBO Africa titles at the Ongwediva Trade Fair on Friday night, showcasing their boxing prowess.
Shinima retained his welterweight title in a hard-fought battle against Tanzanian Idd Pialari, securing a unanimous decision victory. The judges scored the contest 117-111, 116-112, and 115-113 in favour of Shinima. Although Pialari survived an early knockdown in the first round, he spent the remainder of the 12 rounds evading close exchanges and clinching, but Shinima’s performance was enough to sway the judges.
After the fight, Shinima reflected on his victory, stating, “He knew I had power. He tested it in the first round. Since then, he was alert to run away from me in all the rounds, but I did enough to land some punches. It’s a successful defence.”
In the co-headliner, Ndjolonimus successfully defended his WBO International super middleweight title with a fourth-round technical knockout of Joseph Maigisiya, also from Tanzania. Although Maigisiya started strongly, Ndjolonimus took control once he found his rhythm, ultimately leading to Maigisiya’s corner throwing in the towel.
Ndjolonimus expressed his satisfaction with the win, saying, “I feel proud of the victory. I didn’t do what I wanted to do because of the other fighter, but I will take the win. Thanks to my family and my fans who drove from my village. I’m happy they came.”
In another title fight of the night, Immanuel Mundandjela secured a welterweight national title victory over Hedison Nghipondoka after an entertaining 10 rounds of boxing. The judges scored the contest 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94 in favour of Mundandjela, marking his third consecutive victory since turning professional in 2021.
The event, promoted by Nestor Tobias of the MTC Nestor Sunshine Tobias Boxing and Fitness Academy, drew a strong turnout of fans who enjoyed high-quality boxing. Tobias expressed his satisfaction with the event, stating, “It was a great night of boxing. The fans really enjoyed themselves, and the boxers put on a great show.” He also revealed plans for another boxing event in Ongwediva in the near future, promising more thrilling action for boxing enthusiasts.
