The Nation Newspaper

Tag: BOXING

  • 2014 Glagow Commonwealth Games: Minister confirms foreign tours for athletics, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting

    • Also release of funds to 8 participating federations 

    Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Tammy Danagogo has told SportingLife that athletics, boxing, wrestling and weightlifting would go on foreign tours to prepare adequately for the 2014 Glasgow, Scotland Commonwealth Games that is slated to start 23rd of this month.

    The Minister disclosed that all sports federations that needed foreign exposure for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games holding between July 23rd and August 3rd, 2014 would get it before the tournament starts.

    ”But most of the contingents that are to leave are in athletics, boxing, wrestling and weightlifting. They have different countries they are going to with different time frame, but those of them that need foreign exposure will surely get it before the Games start,” Danagogo disclosed at his office in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He also disclosed that the athletes for the Games have been camping for some time now. “The athletes have been in local camp since and some of them have gone for off-shore camping, so that we can expose them, with a view to winning more laurels.

    “I believe that we will do better than we have ever done in previous editions and I have been talking to some of the medal hopefuls, so, we are hopeful and we pray that God crown our efforts. A lot of them are already out in foreign camps, some others are leaving today (Tuesday) and some will leave tomorrow (Wednesday).”

    He also allayed fears on funding of the athletes and officials for the Commonwealth Games declaring that, “All approvals have been made and money has been released by the Federal Government and we have released that to the respective federations to prepare their athletes.

    “The reason why we are on ground now is to ensure that every preparation of Games is properly taken care of. I have met with some federation presidents and we are trying to fine-tune the expenses and demands, because the demands are heavy, but the funds are limited. But, everything is under control,” Danagogo assured.

     

  • YSFON to introduce boxing in Enugu prison

    YSFON to introduce boxing in Enugu prison

    The Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) on Saturday said it planned to introduce a boxing competition in the Nigeria Prisons in Enugu.

    The Secretary of YSFON in Enugu State, John Eli, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that the competition was part of the talent hunt by the federation.

    Eli said that it would also help the inmates of the prison to have a sense of belonging and rediscover their talents while in custody.

    “We will also introduce other indoor games for them but we want to first introduce boxing to know how it will be received before introducing others.

    “Introduction of these indoor sports will go a long way to encourage some talented inmates to be busy.

    “Sports in prison have been a routine activity outside the country where some of the  great boxers were discovered,” he said.

    Eli, who is also the Director of Sports in Enugu, said YSFON was awaiting the final approval from the Nigeria Prison Service to kick-start the event.

    “Since the inmates are not free to move around, there is need to introduce indoor sports to keep them busy and save them from engaging in vices.

    “We are ready to start the programme but the prison authority has not given us the go ahead and we need to build a boxing ring inside the prison yard for the exercise,” he said.

  • Boxing champion dies in swimming pool

    A medalist in the boxing event at the just-concluded Ibile Games, Mujib Philips, on Saturday died in the swimming pool at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Rowe Park in Yaba, Lagos.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Philips died during the Boxing Hall of Fame championship event which takes place every last Saturday of the month.
    Philips won a gold medal at the Ibile Games, hosted by the Lagos State Government to showcase talented athletes in Local Governments Areas in the state.
    The boxer was confirmed dead by the medical doctor in charge of the Lagos State Sports Council, Dr Akin George, who also invited the state’s emergency ambulance service, LASAMBUS.
    “The body of the deceased would be taken to the appropriate place for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of his death,’’ George said.
    The Manager of the swimming pool, Rahaman Fadugba, said that he was not around when the boxer came to the pool.
    He disclosed, however, that security guards had challenged Philips, when the medalist came to the pool side.
    “I was told the security guards challenged him at the gate and he told them that he was one of the boxers for the Hall of Fame event and a Lagos State champion.
    “I ordered some of the divers at the swimming pool, who then went under the water and brought his body out from the water immediately. I sent for the doctor,’’ Fadugba said
    One of the divers, Idowu Ephanus, said that the deceased jumped into the deepest part of the pool around 3:30 p.m. and it was later discovered that his body was not found on the water.
    “We immediately jumped inside the water and brought him out and immediately invited the doctor to the sports centre who on arrival certified him dead,” Ephanus said.

  • ‘Develop amateur boxing for professionals to thrive’

    ‘Develop amateur boxing for professionals to thrive’

    Isaac Ikhuoria, a former National Boxing coach, on Wednesday said that it was only when amateur boxing was given prominence that professional boxing could be revived in the country.

    Ikhuoria told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that with adequate exposure to the right kind of competition, boxers could effectively ply their trade in the professional cadre.

    “When amateur boxers go out for international competitions on a regular basis, they can eventually go professional as we all know it’s the basic start up point for them. What is important is exposure and it can be likened to the education system; you can’t pass through a curriculum without a test. And likewise training without going out for international competitions will lead nowhere,’’ he said.

    Ikhuoria, who won a bronze medal in the middleweight category in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, added that any boxer that wants to go professional must first pay his dues as an amateur.

    “There is nothing stopping a boxer that has been training for a while ordinarily to go professional, but they have to master the rudiments of the sport before going professional. They have to know the rules of international boxing, simple rules like movement, throwing punches, defence and most importantly attack,’’ Ikhuoria said.

    The former coach said that a boxer that failed to imbibe the fundamentals of the pugilistic trade would not be able to perform maximally at the professional level.

    “Those are basic rules a boxer at amateur level must master before he enters the ring, before he decides to go professional. Like I said earlier he must know the basics to embark on professional boxing, therefore, he must pass through the amateur stage, gain experience and go pro,’’ Ikhuoria said.

    He appealed to all the stakeholders in boxing to urgently close ranks to save the sport from going into extinction.

    “Boxers, stakeholders and promoters should wake up from their slumber and revive professional boxing. Lots of enthusiasts are waiting for the sport to be revived through regular competitions to enhance its profile once again,’’ he added.

  • 2014 Commonwealth Games: ‘Boxers need adequate preparation’

    2014 Commonwealth Games: ‘Boxers need adequate preparation’

    Rotimi George-Taylor, the immediate past President of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), on Wednesday called on the regulatory body to prepare their boxers adequately for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

    George-Taylor told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that it was only through a dedicated training programme that the boxers could stand a chance of performing creditably in the quadrennial Games.

    NAN reports that the Games are scheduled to hold in Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 3.

    “The Commonwealth Games needs adequate preparation in every way; the boxers need enough exposure to get them 100 per cent ready for the tournament. Boxers need a form of pre-camping tournament to test their abilities and groom them in the right way for the task ahead; which is winning at the competition,’’ he said.

    The former NBF president told NAN that the country would need a seasoned and competent coach that could sharpen the skills of the boxers ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

    “They also need to get a foreign coach or at most a qualified coach, to teach them the rudiments of boxing and to keep them abreast with the new AIBA rules. At the last Commonwealth Games, one of our boxers almost won the bronze medal if not for the referee that did not stop the match when our boxer was bleeding.

    “So, that is why we need to get it right in the officiating to avoid irregularity in international competitions,’’ George-Taylor said.

     

  • Klitschko out to prove sport and politics do mix

    Klitschko out to prove sport and politics do mix

    IT is a little unfortunate that the most enduring conflation of politics and pugilism was made by Idi Amin. “Boxing is like politics you try to knock out your opponents,” said the butcher of Uganda, famously photographed by the late Monte Fresco as he engaged in mock fisticuffs with Ian Wooldridge.

    Such wisdom has more recently been tested by Manny Pacquiao, who has embraced public service in his native Philippines with the ardour one might expect of a figure anointed by his people as a semi-deity. And yet it is Ukraine’s Vitali Klitschko, who, at 42, confirmed this week that he had all but turned his back on the ring, who could savour the greatest success in a very different form of canvassing.

    There is nothing like the noble art, it seems, for affirming one’s suitability for the highest office. For Klitschko’s audacious move to oppose President Viktor Yanukovych in urging closer ties with the European Union is no mere stunt. Close observers of the febrile machinations in Kiev are convinced that the elder Klitschko brother, victorious in 45 of 47 fights besides his controversial defeat against Lennox Lewis a decade ago, possesses the gravitas to prevail in the 2015 presidential race. In a country starkly divided between the aspirational Orange revolutionaries who swept to power in 2004 and the Russian-speaking, blue-collar Yanukovych advocates in the east, Klitschko has the trappings of global celebrity necessary to span both camps.

    “He is not corrupted,” Taras Berezovets, a leading political strategist, told Time magazine. “Klitschko is probably the single candidate who can bridge the two parts of Ukraine.” It is tempting to hold a rather jaundiced view of boxers with a political bent, given that even Pacquiao has struggled to convert his kudos into results of any electoral significance. As a representative for Sarangani province, he has faced fierce criticism for his poor attendance record at debates, with one congressman describing Pacquiao’s designs upon the Filipino presidency in 2016 as a “big joke”.

    Klitschko, however, never fails to be taken seriously, either by dint of his 41 professional knockouts or his formidable extra-curricular qualifications. He is fluent in both English and German, enabling a constructive acquaintance with Western diplomats such as Victoria Nuland, the US Assistant Secretary of State who travelled to Kiev last week to hand out bread and biscuits to protesters in a sub-zero Independence Square. He also holds the equivalent of a doctorate from Kiev’s National University of Physical Fitness and Sport.

    The one handicap, familiar to boxers as a breed, is Klitschko’s tendency to lapse into the lumpen rhetoric of the weigh-in. Under rigorous inquisition as to how exactly he intended to elicit concessions from the autocrat Yanukovych, he replied: “The president and the government pretend to put a brave face on their bad game. In boxing, this is not possible. If you have a bad game, you end up with a bad face.”

    It was hardly a speech worthy of Cicero. But Klitschko is adamant that he will not deviate from his chosen transition, perhaps deriving confidence from the knowledge that a boxer’s path to the ballot box is a well-trodden one.

    Lord Moynihan, former sports minister and chairman of the British Olympic Association, won a boxing blue at Oxford before he pursued his own seat of power. Alexis ‘Explosive Thin Man’ Arguello, by common consent the finest junior lightweight of all time, likewise became active in Nicaraguan politics following his retirement, becoming mayor of Managua in 2008 before being found dead at his home seven months later, in what was believed to be suicide.

    There are even more exalted examples. Theodore Roosevelt boxed at Harvard, even going so far as to have a ring installed within the White House, where he memorably sparred with former heavyweight champion John Sullivan. Hard-as-oak senator John McCain, similarly, did not acquire his reputation for resilience without a thorough grounding in left hooks and right-arm jabs. He was swiftly recognised as a standout boxing talent at the US Naval Academy, cutting a swathe through the lightweight division. The same passion was manifested throughout a 25-year Senate career, during which he helped draft legislation as the Muhammad Ali boxing reform act.

    From Sebastian Coe to George Weah, sport and politics have become interwoven in the richest of webs. But as the sternest preparation for a second life in office, boxing seems an unimpeachable choice.

     

    Boxing

     

  • MONTHLY SATURDAY BOXING SHOW: Focus now on schools — Edun

    MONTHLY SATURDAY BOXING SHOW: Focus now on schools — Edun

    Chairman, Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame (LBHF), Olawale Edun, has said that the Monthly Saturday Boxing Show will now shift focus to schools to discover budding talents for the future.

    The 47th edition was held at the Sir Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium on Saturday, instead of the usual Rowe Park for logistics reasons.

    Speaking recently on the competition which is an initiative of the LBHF in conjunction with the Lagos Amateur Boxing Association (LABA), Edun said the decision has informed the participation of more school children in recent editions.

    “We want more participation from school children to encourage and drive the discovery of talents from the schools that will take over from the ones we have now.

    “It is a progression that must not stop, the more reason why we have to return to the schools and encourage more children to be interested in the sport,” he said.

    Edun continued: “We already know boxers like Taiwo Agbaje, Olaide Fijabi, Gabriel Francis, Rilwan Oladesu, and the others. I feel it is time to start getting replacements for them as we don’t expect them to be amateur boxers for ever. That is the essence of this competition to create a reservoir of talents.”

    In the ten bouts lined up for the 47th edition, Taiwo Abiodun defeated Taiwo Taofeek 3-0 in the 49kg weight category, as Dauda Azeez also beat Latifu Adebayo 3-0 in the 49kg wieght category.

    The exhibition match involving Doyin Malic Olawale in the 20kg weight category exhibition match ended in a draw.

    On resumption, however, Yusuf Adeniyi of Arowosegbe Nursery/Primary School, Ketu, lost 0-3 to Shitu Olawale of Iganmu Secondary School in the 40kg weight category.

    Oladosu Idris of Unit Secondary School, beat Ibrahim Yakubu of Ogudu Grammar School, Orile in the 40kg weight category with a technical knockout, while Idris Ibrahim of Ajumono Senior Secondary School, Isolo, lost 1-2 to Olatunji Okusanya Latunji of Birel Avenue Senior Secondary School, Sabo, Yaba in the 56kg weight category.

    In the other bouts of the night, Ganiu Hamed defeated Hamed Rufai with a technical knockout in the third round to win the 64kg weight category. Also, Shola Nureni lost 0-3 to Aliu Ibrahim in another 64kg weight category bout.

    It took Saheed Lawal just two rounds to teach Abraham Olamilekan some boxing lessons and knock him out in the 69kg weight category bout.

    The last bout of the night was between Tosin Oyewole and Samuel Elegbede and it ended 1-2 in favour of Elegbede in the 75kg weight category bout.

    The 48th edition comes up on the 26th of this month, and it also doubles as the Governor’s Belt special edition.

  • Omotoso urges better administration to develop professional boxing

    Omotoso urges better administration to develop professional boxing

    A boxing promoter, Demola Omotoso, said on Wednesday Nigeria could discover great professional boxers if those with credible credentials were allowed to administer the sport.

    Omotoso told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that recent performances of the country’s professional boxers were below those of their predecessors. He noted that there were not enough championships in the country to develop the skills of professional boxers.

    “We have world champions here; they have to be brought out. When they don’t have the competitions how do you discover them? There are no competitions; the promoters are not there; the administrators are not doing the job as it should be done.

    “There are a lot of world champions in Nigeria now but they don’t give them the opportunity; they don’t engage in fights; how can they excel? The population of Nigeria is so large that they are everywhere but they have to be brought out.

    “Without that, the whole thing will be dormant; boxing is more or less dead. I remember years back, Nigeria used to be one of the best boxing countries when Hogan Bassey won the world featherweight title on June 27, 1957. Dick Tiger, he too was a world champion as well. That time we had so many world champions’’.

    Omotoso appealed to the National Sports Commission (NSC) to scrutinise the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control to ensure that sufficient competitions were organised by the body.

  • ‘Boxing lived up to its thrills, controversies’

    ‘Boxing lived up to its thrills, controversies’

    Although the boxing event of the 18th National Sports Festival (NSF) ended on Dec. 7, the sport provided some memorable showdowns that will dominate national discourse for some time to come, as Nigerians appraise the just-concluded biennial Games.

    The event featured many colourful boxers from various states across the federation, particularly Apampa Muri from Borno and Gabriel Francis of Lagos. Apampa won most of his bouts via knock outs until the finals, where he lost his match to Ademola Najeem of Ogun in a tough encounter that lived up to its top rating.

    Francis, on the other hand, another tough fighter, who was quick with his deadly punches, never dropped his guard until he settled for the ultimate prize – the gold medal.

    In all, however, Lagos State boxers proved hard nuts to crack as they remained the team to beat as the team notched up eight gold medals in both the men and women’s categories, at the finals.

    Ogun was adjudged the second best to Lagos after winning seven gold and two silver medals, to stamp their strength and technical prowess in the competition.

    Above all, some of the bouts were, however, hit by brick bats of controversies as spectators and team officials expressed disappointment at some `controversial’ decisions of some judges in the course of the competition.

    Looking back at the competition, Hakeem Idris, a spectator, expressed displeasure at some of the final decisions, saying that some of the decisions could not have been the true reflection of what the outcomes of the bouts actually were.

    “It is sad that an event like this can be marred by questionable decisions. Some of the bouts were indeed thrilling, no doubt, but the balance of fair play was largely missing in some of the bouts,” he said.

    Obinna Eze, a fan of Team Abia, expressed disappointment with the judges following Abia’s Okebugwu Flora’s 1-2 loss to Olaniyi Bola of Ogun, in one of the most controversial women’s bouts.

    “This is a major event – a festival. We can’t keep on allowing such things happen haphazardly and claim we want to get it right at the Olympics. Flora clearly won and everyone knew it,” he said.

    However, Abiodun Obanla, Head Coach from Ondo State, described the officiating generally as fair, but noted that as humans, “errors are inevitable in Games of this magnitude, where passion can sometimes come into play”.

    The coach, who is also a referee, admitted that although some decisions were not right, they were mistakes that were bound to happen sometimes in boxing.

    “In my opinion, it is unfortunate that not everybody will want to accept such costly errors at such crucial stages, given what was at stake – a gold, a silver and a bronze, plus some cash rewards (in some states).

    “Sometimes it can be a lack of concentration of the part of judges. It can be a result of poor knowledge by the referees or even that of an athlete. But these mistakes can sometimes prove costly. Some decisions were not right but these are some of the errors that come with officiating; they’re not intentional,” he explained.

    Aside from the flaws and controversies that dogged the officiating, many of the men and women’s boxing bouts were without doubt thrilling, raising hopes about the future of the sport, particularly at the amateur level.

    The fierce and fearless displays, the gusts and thrills of boxers kissing the canvas, as well as the drama of throwing in the towel from corner men turned out to be the high points of some of the bouts.

    In the end, a total of 20 gold medals were won in both the men and women’s categories of boxing at the festival. It is only time that will tell if the efforts, time and money spent in staging the Games had been worth it.

     

     

     

  • BOXING: Khan promises to fight Brook if he wins world title

    BOXING: Khan promises to fight Brook if he wins world title

    Amir Khan has handed Kell Brook an even bigger incentive to beat Devon Alexander in his world title fight by promising to fight the winner.

    Brook is set to challenge for the IBF belt on January 19 in either New York  or Las Vegas after maneuvering himself into the mandatory position with victory over Hector Saldivia last month.

    And should the 26-year-old upset the odds in America, he could set up an all-British summer showdown against bitter rival Khan.

    ‘I think it’s a great fight,’ Khan told BoxingScene. ‘I think it’s a great step up for Brook because he has been fighting at a lower level.

    ‘I’m surprised he’s taking the fight with Devon Alexander. Devon Alexander is a great fighter. It is a great fight for the welterweight division and in the future I can fight the winner.

    ‘If he gets past Devon Alexander, then I think it makes sense to have a fight with him – and he’ll have a world title [so] it makes sense to fight Brook maybe in the UK – it would be huge.’

    Khan himself returns to action on December 15 against undefeated Carlos Molina in Los Angeles.

    It will be the first time the 25-year-old has fought under the guidance of new trainer Virgil Hunter.

    And the Bolton man is all too aware that he must get back to winning ways if he is to fight the world’s biggest names.

    ‘There’s always pressure when I fight but I definitely have to win this because if I lose, I’m done,’ Khan said.

    ‘This is a fight I need to win, 100 per cent. If I don’t win it I’m done. It’s that simple. The big super-fights I’ve always dreamed about won’t be there if I lose this. Pacquiao, Mayweather — forget it.’

    In an attempt to revitalize his fortunes, Khan took the bold step of ditching revered trainer Freddie Roach in favour of the quietly-spoken San Francisco-based Hunter.

    ‘It’s a very tight community in that gym. You need to have people there you trust. Virgil keeps it very limited and that’s what I like about it,’ he added.

    ‘You’re not bothered about who’s watching, you’re not training for a crowd, or fans.’