Name: Tryagain Morning Ndevelo

Nickname: The Issue

Age: 23

Place of birth: Ruacana, Namibia

Home towns: Ruacana and Eenhana

Fighting weight: 57kg (126 pounds)

Boxing category: Featherweight

Boxing coach/trainer: Albertus Tsamaseb and Jason Mashala

Boxing club: Albertus Tsamaseb Boxing Academy (Swakopmund)

Favourite food: Sea food (prawns, fish and lobsters)

Favourite drink: Apple juice

Who is your hero/role model? Vasiliy Lomachenko

Who inspires you in local boxing? Jonas Junias Jonas, Harry Simon Jr.

Who inspires you internationally? Vasiliy Lomachenko, Canelo Alvarez

What motivates you? Boxing changes lives, and so I want to become a champion who can change lives for the better.

Career highlights/best boxing moments:

Won bronze at the 2017 Youth Commonwealth Games in Bahamas.

Good showing (quarterfinal loss) at 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK.

According to your own prediction, in which year will you become a world champion? In less than 7 years, come 2030.

Boxing is a tough and challenging sport. What are some of the challenges you have faced so far in your boxing? And how have you overcome some of those challenges you faced? Lack of international fights is a challenge. However, I do all means possible to partake in any tournament I hear across the country. It’s also a challenge to get strong opponents in my category in the country. So I make sure I pick opponents above my weight category.

One of the challenges in local boxing is the lack of proper medical attention before and after the fights. How do you cope with this especially when fighting with boxers from developed countries? Always I make sure I get myself painkillers, extra bandages, deep heat and deep freezer pain-relief items in case of any injuries after the match. In some cases if the medics are present then you can always present your injuries to them.

Proper compensation/payment for boxers is another challenge. According to your opinion what must be done so that boxers can start to earn what they deserve and be accorded the respect they deserve in the community? When it comes to payment I cannot really say much on that simply because it’s always a private matter between professional boxers and promoters according to the contractual agreements they sign. As for us amateurs, we don’t get payment but rather we do what we do for the love of the country by raising the flag of Namibia in foreign lands. As from the community, we the boxers deserve the recognition and respect for all the sacrifices we make for the country.

Where do you see yourself in the year 2030? I see myself as an Olympian medallist and a world championship contender.