Namibia’s Ring Contact Fighting Arts (RCFA) national team delivered a commanding performance at the International RCFA Namib War IV Championships, collecting 427 medals and securing qualification for the Africa Championships.
Held recently at Wanderers Sports Club in Pionierspark, Windhoek, the international tournament attracted 13 clubs from Namibia, South Africa and the United States, competing in kickboxing, sport boxing, close combat and weapons events.
The host nation claimed the overall country title with 4,590 points, comfortably ahead of South Africa, which collected 100 medals and 1,035 points. The United States delegation, represented by Ocala RCFA, finished third with one gold medal and 10 points.
Namibia’s achievement builds on the national team’s third consecutive overall victory at the RCFA World Championship in South Africa earlier this year, reinforcing the country’s growing reputation in the martial arts discipline. The Namibian contingent secured 186 gold, 161 silver and 80 bronze medals, highlighting the depth of talent across its participating clubs.
RCFAI Windhoek led the club standings with 92 gold, 61 silver and 29 bronze medals, earning 1,982 points. RCFAI Rehoboth finished second with 952 points, followed by the RCFA South Africa Presidential Team in third place with 727 points.
RCFAI Otjiwarongo and RCFAI Mariental also featured among the leading clubs, while Swakopmund Fight Club and Walvis Bay Sports Martial Arts Club contributed to Namibia’s strong showing. Swakopmund Fight Club’s Duhan Steenkamp was among the standout coastal performers, winning three gold medals in semi-contact close combat, low kicks and sport boxing.
He added a silver medal in high kicks. Lillian van der Westhuizen secured two gold medals in close combat and high kicks, while Ruan van der Merwe claimed gold in semi-contact close combat. Anastasia Sass earned two silver medals in high and low kicks, while Divan Bronkhorst collected two silver medals in the first and second Bo series.
Quintin Wiese and Calvin Maletzky each won silver in close combat, and Marco Angula secured bronze in the same discipline. Rheeder Schalkwyk and Regardt Schalkwyk also competed in their respective first-series divisions.
Walvis Bay Sports Martial Arts Club enjoyed success through Heinrich Andreas, who claimed gold in the heavyweight semi-contact close combat division. Jané Deyzel won gold in low kicks and bronze in high kicks, while also finishing fifth in baton fighting.
Liam Stoltz secured silver in high kicks and fourth place in low kicks. In the club standings, Swakopmund Fight Club finished sixth with 11 gold, 16 silver and seven bronze medals. The South Africa Development Team placed seventh, while Walvis Bay Sports Martial Arts secured eighth position with five gold, seven silver and one bronze medal, earning 140 points.
Z1 Academy Windhoek and South Africa’s State of Flow completed the top 10. The results underline the important contribution of coastal fighters to Namibia’s international success, with athletes from Swakopmund and Walvis Bay earning podium finishes across multiple disciplines and age groups.
With qualification for the Africa Championships secured, the national team will look to build on its impressive medal haul as Namibian fighters prepare for the next stage of international competition. Photo: Swakopmund Fight Club.
By Rudi Bowe
