The finest Kick-boxer

Namibian kick-boxer Lesley !Hoaeb learned the sport of kickboxing seven years ago and to date he has established himself as one of the finest kick-boxers in the world.
Born in Fransfontein in 1991, the Super-Light-weight division kick-boxer started kickboxing in 2011 and to date has won numerous titles in countries such as United States of America, South Africa, Brazil and Botswana.
His achievements outside the country prompted him to invest his kickboxing skills by establishing a martial arts school in his home town of Walvis Bay, aimed at creating more awareness of the sport, which operates without a sponsor unlike other sport codes who enjoys funding from the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) for administration purposes.
Some of the titles !Hoaeb has won include first place at the US Open World Championships (Orlando, Florida, USA) – Clash sparring, the US Open World Championships (Orlando, Florida, USA) – Continuous and Points Sparring all in 2015. He also won the Battle of Atlanta World Championships (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) in 2016, followed it up with the Jungle War (Johannes-burg, South Africa) Points and Semi-Contact in 2016. Other accolades was when he won the Battle of Atlanta World Championships (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) – Semi-Contact, the ADCC Jiu-Jitsu Championships (Johannesburg, South Africa) Jiu-Jitsu in 2017 and the African Continental Games (Gaborone, Botswana) Points and Continuous Sparring first place in 2018 and the Battle of Atlanta World Championships (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) Sport Jiu-Jitsu also in 2018.
The Namibian kick-boxer said “I started the sport of kickboxing in 2011, with an aim of travelling globally and to make the sport of kickboxing a professional sport code. I currently own a dojo (martial arts school) with 109 students. I teach children in my dojo on Self-defense for both male and female. I am very lucky to be one of the 18 children who got school and hostel fees sponsored by Philip Muller, whom I also call my father.
“I have supportive parents” !Hoaeb added.
Philip Muller decided to invest in him after he saw a potential, and opened the dojo for me and is his sole sponsor for all the five trips to the USA and all other continental championships that he competed in.
!Hoaeb trains six days per week for two hours per day and when it comes to eating he normally eat everything, but before competitions or fights he adjust to his diet according to his weight.
All the championship that he participates in is important for him but the UAEJJF National PRO GI championship that were held in Johannesburg was the most one as it was the only way he could measure himself against the best as there is not any challenges in Namibia.
“At this stage I am undefeated and ranked number two in the Battle of Atlanta World Championships,” says, !Hoaeb.
!Hoaeb is a big fan of Michalis “Iron Mike” Zambidis, professional kick boxer and martial artist, who also happens to be a 16 time Middleweight World Champion. If it was not for his supportive parents, !Hoaeb could have not gone this far in the sport.
!Hoaeb declared, “Mike Zambidis, he is small in stature, but like dynamite. Despite having my own martial arts school I belong to the Namibia Ring Contact Fighting Arts International (RCFAI) Kick-boxing Academy in Walvis Bay.
This year one of my lowest points was to participate in the World championships without National Co-lours. This year has been a very successful year for me with lots of achievements and the Namibian Kickboxing Federation is busy planning my title fight in the USA next year in June. Kickboxing to me is a solid foundation.
“My aim is one day to become Namibia’s sportsman of the year as it is every athletes’ dream,” !Hoaeb proclaimed.
He was however unhappy with the NSC’s failure to give him national colors during his participation at the World Championship in Atlanta.