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Tag: boxers

  • Lagos standstill as boxers thrill fans at repackaged LBHF

    Lagos standstill as boxers thrill fans at repackaged LBHF

    Fans at Agege Stadium, Lagos, were treated to an electrifying display of boxing talent as the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame (LBHF) Championships made a triumphant return over the weekend.

    The one-day tournament featured 10 thrilling bouts, marking the comeback of Nigeria’s longest-running grassroots boxing event. Boxers from across Lagos dazzled spectators, leaving them eager for more action.

    Fawaz Sharafadeen of Star Boxing Club, Ajegunle Apapa, delivered the only technical knockout (TKO) of the day in the men’s 70kg category, flooring Olamilekan Badiru of Lion Star BC, Ikorodu-West in under two minutes of the first round.

    In the men’s 50kg division, Bolarinwa Michael of Next Page BC, Mushin, edged out Daramola Daniel of Brightest BC, Otto Awori, with a 3-2 decision. Lateed Qudus of Kamlat BC, Oyingbo, replicated the result in the men’s 55kg, defeating Quadri Oyebamiji of Fighter BC, Ojo.

    Samuel Talabi of Risadep BC, Abule Egba, secured a 4-1 win over Innocent Prosper of Always BC, Bariga in the men’s 60kg, while Adeyemi Adebayo of Olore BC, Alimosho, dominated Muftau Abdulahi of Oluomo BC, Surulere, with a 5-0 victory in the men’s 63kg.

    In the women’s 48kg category, the referee stopped the contest in favour of Sofia Yakubu of Cico BC, Oshodi, against Nurat Sulaimon of Dangote BC, Badagry, in the third round.

    Other standout performances included Ibrahim Olayiwola of Segun Body BC, Surulere, who overwhelmed Azeez Ishola of Lion BC, Ikorodu West, 5-0 in the men’s 63kg. Hammed Adegoke of Confidence BC, Kosofe, defeated Dolapo Ajayi of AMK BC, Ifako Ijaiye, 4-1 in the men’s 75kg. The final bout of the day saw Michael Olomitutu of Ashimota BC, Odi-Olowo, claim victory over Segun Aboseh of Badagry BC after the referee stopped the contest in the third round.

    A jubilant Olomitutu praised LBHF for launching his career, urging fellow boxers to embrace the platform that continues to produce top-tier talent for Nigeria.

     “To be sincere, the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame brought me into the limelight in Lagos State,” Olomitutu said.

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    “Before, I only fought in local tournaments, but my first appearance at the LBHF Monthly Show changed everything.”

    He continued: “That day, the founder, Prince Wale Edun, saw me and encouraged me. Meeting someone like him was inspiring, and I was excited to showcase my talent. I’m proud to be here.

    “I don’t want to give up. I have many role models like Anthony Joshua. I’m aiming for the top and dream of fighting at the O2 Arena in London and across the globe.”

    LBHF Director David Mohamed commended the boxers for their performances and shared plans for the tournament’s future.

     “It’s fantastic to be back. You can feel the excitement and see the crowd’s energy. We haven’t held the monthly show in a while, so it’s great to revive grassroots amateur boxing. We’re introducing a new format and criteria for selecting boxers. For this edition, we reached out to our network of coaches, and they brought in top talent, including medallists from the National Sports Festival. Going forward, we’re committed to showcasing the cream of the crop.

     “This event has been running for over 15 years, that’s consistency. Our founder is dedicated, and we’re here for the long haul. The monthly shows are back, and we’re not going anywhere,” Mohamed said.

  • Nigerian boxers chase Paris Olympics tickets to Dakar

    Nigerian boxers chase Paris Olympics tickets to Dakar

    Nigeria’s fortunes in boxing have been dwindling in recent times as the country is fast losing its global status. For instance, the country’s last outing  at the Olympic Games was at Rio 2016 when Efe Ajagba competed in the heavyweight category. In all appearances at the Olympic Games, boxing has fetched Nigeria six medals made up of three silver and three bronze medals. The last medal won in boxing was at Atlanta 1996 in the United States by Duncan Dokiwari in the super heavyweight but from tomorrow at the Dakar Arena in Senegal, nine boxers (three men and six women) will represent the country at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers, writes OLALEKAN OKUSAN.

    Nigeria’s boxers left the shores of the country on Wednesday September 6 to Dakar, Senegal for what seems like a mission to restore the glory of boxing by picking tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France.

    The team made up of six women and three men will compete with their counterparts across the continent with 15 slots for grabs at the seven-day championships.

    Leading the women’s folk is Commonwealth Games bronze medallist – Cynthia Ogunsemilore who will slug it out in the lightweight (60kg).

    Others competing in the women’s division are Oyesiji Adeola (50KG) light-flyweight, Adesina Zainab(54KG) bantamweight, Ojo Joy (57KG) featherweight, Damilola Shodipe (66KG) welterweight and UK-based Patricia Mbata (75KG) middleweight. The men’s contingent has Omole Dolapo (57KG) featherweight, Fatai Moshood (71KG) welterweight and UK-based Olaore Adams (92KG) heavyweight.

    The team will be handled by head coach Anthony Konyegwachie, and he will be assisted by Adura Olalehin.

    However, a confident Konyegwachie told NationSport that he is certain that the boxers would secure tickets to Paris following the failure to be part of Tokyo 2020 in Japan.

    He said: “I am 100 percent sure by the grace of God we are going to pick tickets to Paris from Dakar. At least two to three boxers will make it to France. My boxers are good in both the male and female categories. But we have more chances in the female cadre and even though we can pick one or two tickets for the male, I will be really glad. I have a formidable team of females that is why we picked more females, and they have more chances.

    “The finalists in the female will qualify automatically to Paris while only the champion in the male will qualify. The chance for men is very tight and that is why we decided to select more females where we have the chance to pick tickets. I know it is not going easy, but I am sure we are going to qualify one or two boxers to the Paris Olympic Games in 2024,” Konyegwachie added.

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    A total of 14 boxers featured in the camping exercise held at the National Stadium in Lagos under the auspices of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF).

    The NBF is determined to succeed at the event after failing to qualify a single fighter for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic boxing tournaments.

    “We have a mandate to ensure that we are in the Olympics this time around after we missed out on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan,” said the secretary general of NBF, Dapo Akinyele.  “We have gathered our best athletes for this camp and we expect results from them, this time around we must put all machinery in place to ensure qualification.

    “Nigeria is not lacking in terms of talents, we have them in abundance; not forgetting that we have history in boxing with medals in boxing events at the Olympics.

    “We will do all it takes to ensure that we succeed this time, but first thing is that we want to qualify for the Olympics first.”

    Boxers across Africa will light up the Dakar Arena between September 9 and 18 with 18 spots at stake.

    Since Tokyo 2020, the number of men’s weight classes has been reduced by one to seven with the women’s increased by one to six.

    In the Africa qualifiers, there is just one men’s quota berth available in each of the seven classes, with two quota spots up for grabs in each woman’s weight class in Dakar apart from there being just one in the 75kg division.

    This is the second qualifier for Paris after June’s European Games which saw 44 boxers obtain quota places for their National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

    For boxers who fail to earn quota spots in Dakar, there will be further opportunities at the two world qualification tournaments in Busto Arzizio, Italy from February 29 to March 12 and Bangkok, Thailand from May 23 to June 3 in 2024.

  • “Boxers train under mango tree in Delta”- Okorodudu

    “Boxers train under mango tree in Delta”- Okorodudu

    Nigeria’s boxer in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Jerry Okorodudu,  has condemned how existing and up-and-coming boxers train under a mango tree in Asaba, Delta.

    Okorodudu said this was due to the absence of a boxing gymnasium in Delta that could enhance the promotion of the sport.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos that the boxers usually trained under a mango tree at a corner beside the Asaba Township Stadium.

    “It is a shame for Delta not to have a standard boxing gymnasium where its boxers can use for practice; instead the boxers and their coaches train under a mango tree.

    “I am calling on the present administration in  Delta State to visit this issue, and pay adequate attention to the plights of existing and upcoming boxers,” he said.

    He said that such a problem should not be identified with a state that had produced boxers that had represented the nation at in international competitions.

    “Many of the country’s boxers at the Olympics were from Delta State. We are a force to reckon with also at national championships.

    “The records are there for anyone that wants to verify.

    “We have William Azanor, (56kg) in 1980 Moscow Olympics, Christopher Ossair, (60kg) two-time Olympian, 1980 Moscow and 1984 Los Angeles, in which I also featured.

    “Joe Orewa (52kg) and Peter Konyegbachi also represented the nation at the 1984Olympics, while Gabriel Onoko, (52kg) was in Barcelona Olympics.

    “The most recent boxer is Efe Ajagba ( +91kg) category who was at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

    “With all these stars, Delta should have a standard gymnasium,’’ he said.

    The Brisbane Commonwealth bronze medalist was optimistic that the state would produce more boxers that would make the country proud at national and international scenes, if provided with a modern gymnasium.

    Such gymnasium must be equipped with modern facilities such as a boxing ring, boxing bags, assorted guards and coaching/training pad to enhance their training, he said.

  • Nigerian boxers might miss out of Rio Olympics

     

    Nigeria will not be present at the 18th World Boxing Championships starting today in the gulf state of Qatar and might miss out from Rio 2016.

    According to the AIBA President, Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, the country might also not be in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil next year because the World Championship is the main qualifying event for the Olympic Games.

    He said: “This edition of the AIBA World Boxing Championships will be a key event in the run up to Rio 2016 as the top boxers from all five continents converge in Doha, Qatar, to compete for places at the Games”

    “For the first time, all boxers had to qualify to the World Championships ensuring that boxing fans will enjoy the most remarkable show the elite of the boxing world has to offer”

    The boxing team had earlier spoke of how disheartening the Nigerian flag was not hoisted at the African Championships due to the inability of the Nigeria Boxing Federation to raise funds to make the trip to Morocco.

    The tournament served as a qualifier for the world championships.

    Algeria, who were top of the boxing medals table at the just concluded African Games in Brazzaville will lead the African contingent at the tournament holding at the at Ali bin Hamad Al Attiya Indoor Arena, Doha. Other African countries participating include Morocco, Ghana, Uganda and Tunisia.

  • 200 boxers begin trials ahead of Africa Games

    200 boxers begin trials ahead of Africa Games

    Not less than 200 boxers on Monday began weighing-in and medical fitness tests, ahead of the maiden Kenneth Minimah National Boxing Championship.

    The trials which began on June 29 will end on July 4.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tests and weighing-in were being conducted at the Brai Ayonote Boxing Gymnasium, National Stadium, Lagos.

    Adura Olaleyin, the national boxing coach said the trials commenced with medical certification and weighing-in of the boxers.

    According to him, the exercise is being conducted by medical experts from the National Sports Commission (NSC) and International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA). Olaleyin said the medical officials will ascertain the fitness of the boxers for the fight.

    “We have specialist medical personnel from AIBA and the NSC, who will help to check the current state of the boxers before issuing those considered fit with a clean bill of health. If they fail to meet up with the medicals and weighing-in, they will be dropped automatically even if they have their own medical fitness report,’’ he said.

    He, however, described the tests as the final stage for the medicals before the commencement of the fights, which would also serve as the national trials for the 2015 All Africa Games to be held in Congo-Brazzaville.

    Olaleyin said that event would feature 16 weight categories in both male and female.

    “For the men there are the Light-Flyweight (49kg), Flyweight (51kg), Bantamweight (56kg), Lightweight (60 kg), Light Welterweight (64kg) and Welterweight (69kg). Middleweight (75kg), Light Heavyweight (81kg), Heavyweight (91kg)and Super Heavyweight (+91kg).

    In the Women category, they are Flyweight (51kg), Bantamweight (54kg), Featherweight (57kg), Lightweight (60kg), Welterweight (69kg) and Middleweight (75kg).

    The coach said that the boxers would train with a computerised scoring system in order to get acquainted with the facility in modern practice.

  • National trials: Coach urges boxers to suspend fasting

    National trials: Coach urges boxers to suspend fasting

    A national boxing  coach, Sunday Nwamuda, on Monday urged boxers participating at the trials in the maiden Kenneth Minimah National Boxing Championship to temporarily suspend fasting for at least a week.

    The trials which began on June 29 will end on July 4 and Nwamuda told The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the National Stadium, Lagos, that boxers, who wish to continue with the ongoing Ramadan fast, should opt out of the championship.

    “I don’t see any reason why boxers who are fasting would want to take part in the national trials. I am aware that Islam gives room for a break if the need arises.

    “I believe that boxers on their own should be able to make sacrifices during the national trials. They can continue after the trials,’’ Nwamuda said.

    He said that boxers’ performance at the trials will determine whether they will represent the country at the upcoming 11th All Africa Games.

    A boxer, Abdulkadri Azeez, said the sport requires a lot of physical strength, while advising his colleagues not to combine fasting with the event. He also said that boxers need a lot of physical strength to be able to scale through the trials.

  • Boxers to be insured

    Boxers to be insured

    Ahead of the Gotv Boxing Night, one of the partners, Custodian Life Assurance has revealed that there is a providing insurance cover worth N24million for the 12 boxers billed to fight on the night of 23 November, placing enormous value on the life of the boxers.

    Making this feat known at a media parley, Chief Executive Officer/ Managing Director of Custodian Life Assurance Plc, Mr. Larry Ademeso, explained why his organisation decided to intervene in boxing, explaining that the insurance cover provided is part of the company’s partnership with GOtv to ensure that boxing, a sport which once made the country proud, is rescued from its decrepit state.

    In his words ‘‘I have no doubt that the event, with the active support of organisations such as ours, will ignite the revival of boxing in Nigeria. There is no better way of demonstrating our commitment than the scale of insurance cover we are providing the boxers participating in this event to the tune of N24million, of course, the key dependency of our future commitment will be down to the success of this initial event. We surely have long term commitment towards noble initiatives,’’. However, some boxing legends praised Custodian for its great initiative, which they reckon will encourage the boxers to put in their best in the knowledge that they are insured.

    Former Light heavyweight champion, Joe Lasisi, said he is delighted at the package announced by Custodian and believes that it will elevate the status of professional boxing.

  • Nigeria trains boxers for World Youth Championships

    Nigeria trains boxers for World Youth Championships

    Peter Konyegwachie, the Chief Coach, Nigeria Boxing Federation (NFB), on Thursday said that comprehensive training was in top gear for Nigeria to achieve a successful outing at the forthcoming World Youth Championships.

    Konyegwachie told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the championships would hold in Sofia, Bulgaria from April 10 to April 17.

    He said training schedules had been increased to hold two times daily, to enable the technical crew impart the required tactics on boxers approved by the Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA).

    “We are working hard to ensure that the boxers that will represent the country at the tournament are abreast with the requirements to win laurels.

    “We deemed it necessary to extend our training to evening sessions so that there will be adequate time for practical sessions, as well as to impart morals to the boxers.

    “Although we are still observing open camp at the National Stadium, we are hopeful of inviting boxers for closed camping as soon as possible,’’ he said.

    Konyegwachie said that three female and eight males of various weight categories would be selected at the end of the camping, for the championships.

    “Right now, we have over 20 male and female boxers training and contesting for selection, but only those that complement the requirement will make it, no sentiment or favouritism,’’ he said.

    According to him, the idea is to make sure that the boxers are good ambassadors and to make them comport themselves to avoid any form of embarrassment in Bulgaria.

    Konyegwachie expressed delight at the boxers’ response to the training, saying that it depicts that they are committed to making the country proud at the tourney.

  • Glasgow 2014: Boxers appeal for sponsors to execute programmes

    Glasgow 2014: Boxers appeal for sponsors to execute programmes

    Tunde Laguda, Secretary of the Nigeria Boxing Federation, (NBF), on Friday appealed for sponsorship to facilitate its programmes for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, billed for July 23 to Aug. 3.

    Laguda told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that lack of funds had prevented the federation from carrying out its programmes for the Games, previously called the British Empire Games.

    The secretary said all the build-up events for January were unattended to.

    “February (today) is seven days old. There is nothing on ground to put the boxers in competition mood,” he said.

    According to him, skills cannot be acquired without going through a competitive stage fight, where boxers can size-up themselves, fist-to-fist.

    He said that it was obvious that the National Sports Commission (NSC) would fund the federation for the games.

    “But the federation needs funds to prepare for the games”.

    He appealed to individuals and organisations to aid the federation in carrying out its training programmes, pending when the NSC would release funds.

    “Forty boxers, including 10 females, have been selected for the event.

    “The federation has in its time-table, build-up activities from January to July, to keep the boxers at alert,” he said.

    NAN reports that Boxing is one of the six sports Nigeria would be competing in at the 2014 edition of the Commonwealth Games.

  • Lagos boxers talk tough

    HE Lagos State contingent to London for the Invitational Boxing Tournament against boxers from the London Boxing Association (LBA) has arrived at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, Lancaster Gate, venue of the competition.

    The eight boxers travelled aboard a 10am Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos yesterday, and will be engaging their London counterparts in different weight categories.

    National Champion in the 64kg weight category, Olaide Fijabi, promised that nothing but total victory will be accepted for the commitment of the Lagos State Government and the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame (LBHF), to the development of boxing in the country in recent times.

    He said: “We are battle-ready. This is what we do for a living so competitions of this magnitude are not new to us. We will give it our best shot and expect to get a good result,” he said.

    But for multi-talented Taiwo Agbaje, it will be just another opportunity to garner more support for boxing in Nigeria.

    He said he intends to remain focused and ensure he wins his bout so as to enhance the team’s chances of winning overall.

    Another boxer, Gabriel Francis who impressed in the last National Open Boxing Championship in Lagos, in the 91kg weight category, was full of praise for Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), for providing him the international exposure. “I am grateful to the governor of Lagos and the Chairman of the Lagos State Boxing Hall of Fame, Mr. Olawale Edun for the support and encouragement.

    “We promise not to disappoint them by putting up a good performance against the London boys. They are not new to us, we had met in Lagos several times and so this will not be an exception. We have trained hard enough to emerge victorious,” he said.

    The competition is organised by the LBA and it’s from October 21- 27 this year starting with the formalities.