KINSHASA, DR Congo — Namibia’s 2024 African light-heavyweight silver medalist, Gebhard Ipinge, has laid the blame for his defeat squarely on his coaching corner, claiming their tactical advice led him straight into a losing battle against Cameroon’s hard-hitting Brandon Ngon A Ngon.
Exhibiting his trademark relaxed demeanor despite the setback, Ipinge spoke to boxersworld.co.ke at the Africa Elite Boxing Championships. He revealed that his trainers were fully aware of the Cameroonian Zone 3 champion’s devastating punching power, yet inexplicably instructed him to adopt a rigid, stationary approach in the ring.
“The coaches advised me not to move a lot, even though they knew he hits incredibly hard,” a frustrated Ipinge explained.
Instead of utilizing footwork to evade the incoming barrage, I pinge was told to box flat-footed—a strategy that effectively turned him into a sitting duck for Ngon, who is known for “throwing stones” with his heavy hands.
The tactical misstep proved costly against the relentless Cameroonian power-puncher, whose sophisticated body-punching repertoire has been tearing through the light-heavyweight division throughout the tournament. Prior to the bout, Iipinge had even been seen kneeling in prayer on the ring apron, asking for protection against the dangerous puncher—a testament to the known threat Ngon posed.
Despite the disappointment of having his championship dreams derailed by poor ringside instructions, the Namibian silver medalist remains resilient about his future in the sport.
“Each loss is a learning experience,” Impinge reflected, looking ahead to rebuilding and refining his approach on the drawing board.
boxersworld.co.ke
