Khubamang said he is focussed on the coming fight after overcoming the past disappointments of the last minute cancellation of his bout in October 2003.
“Since that incident, I have been inactive. Now what I can let you know is that I am prepared and I have left that embarrassing moment behind and my focus now is on the next fight and I will try harder to win.”
Khubamang currently trains at Nick Durrandt camp in South Africa, which he regards as one of the best in Africa. “Durrandt is a professionally run camp with all the facilities one can dream of. It is also the only one in South Africa that has many world titles under its belt.”
At Durrandt camp, he has been helped technically and financially by companies from Botswana like Olivier Agencies and Gaborone Electronics. Some of the companies are also coming forward to assist him for his next encounter with Mathebula. Yesterday a glass company, Glazing Botswana presented him with a P2,000 cheque. The assistant managing director, Hildah Mesotlo told Mmegi Sport that Khubamang caught them off guard but eventually they felt obliged to help him.
“Khubamang came to us pleading for help. He came at a very bad moment but we did not ignore him because we have helped others before, and I can assure him that we will continue helping him in the future,” she said.
Phakalane Golf Estate is the main sponsor of the April 9 fight, which will feature curtain-raising bouts.
“We will be providing the venue, accommodation and meals for free. We will also be sponsoring Khubamang with sports attire he will need while training in South Africa,” said Thabo Mogomotsi, the sales and marketing manager of Phakalane Golf Estates. She revealed that if everything goes well, they will sponsor other boxing events in future.
Khubamang’s fight against Mathebula will be his seventh since he turned professional about five years ago. So far he has lost one, drew one and won four of his professional fights.
Khubamang said that his opponent is a closed chapter to him but he will try to get hold of video cassettes of his latest fights. The promoter of the event, Christopher Bogatsu said that preparations for the fight are proceeding well. “Currently everything is going well and on Monday, some inspectors from South Africa came to assess the venue and they were impressed.”
He said the technical problems that led to the cancellation of Khubamang’s fight in 2003 will not recur. “This time around, everything is well. And as I am talking to you, we have had some fruitful discussions with BNSC and I am not seeing anything stopping the fight. That would be a shameful moment especially for the upcoming professional boxers who would end up quitting.”
The 2003 fight aborted due to misunderstandings with the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC). At the time BNSC felt that they had not been properly informed about the fight and they did not sanction the fight.
After the aborted fight, there was a bitter exchange of words between the BNSC and Khubamang with the latter accusing the BNSC of sabotaging. But for the coming fight, BNSC official Kitso Kemoeng confirmed that he has met with Bogatsu and everything is going well. The organisers of the fight have said they will reveal more details on Monday.
