Joshua Omole was the first Nigerian male boxer to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after emerging winner in the 57kg class at the African Olympic Qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal. The 24-year-old boxed his way through five grueling encounters to secure the sole slot in the weight category. As he heads for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Omole tells OLALEKAN OKUSAN how maternal instinct made him a boxer today and not a footballer as he had envisioned for himself.
Joshua Omole is a study in self-belief. As a boxer he had experienced several heartaches in his quest to make a name for himself in the sport. Yet he retained a strong belief in his ability and maintained consistency in performance which brought him to the notice of the national handlers, who then decided to give him another chance to prove his worth for the 2024 Paris Olympics trials.
Omole was part of the national camp in the build-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. However, his efforts went unnoticed and he missed out of the qualifiers, even as Nigerian eventually failed to pick a place in Japan. This disappointment prompted Omole to turn professional. This has proved to be a monumental decision and turning point for Omole because since turning professional has been unbeaten in nine fights.
Despite turning professional, Omole’s thirst to be an Olympian and represent Nigeria at the world’s biggest sporting event remained with him. Thus, when the national trials to pick pugilists that would represent the country at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games through the qualifying tournament in Dakar, Senegal; Omole made another attempt. This time around, he fought his way through to win a place in the nine-man team that flew to Dakar for the qualifiers.
From the first round (round of 32) at the Dakar qualifiers, Omole did not have it easy as he was set up against Sierra Leone’s Abu Kanu. However, such was his determination to succeed that Omole knocked out his opponent to advance to the round of 16 where he met the experienced Ghanaian Wabib Omar.
Against the Ghanaian Olympian, Omole ensured that he fought like a warrior from the first round in the three-round bout, ably spurred on from the ring side by the National Coach, Anthony Konyegwachie.
Omole’s performance convinced the five judges who unanimously awarded the fight to him 5-0. Omole admitted that fighting Omar was his toughest bout in Dakar. “The toughest fight for me was against Ghana’s Omar, who is a two-time Olympian and a Commonwealth Games medalist. But I think I was more determined than him in the fight. I was focused and ensured that I achieved my target of progressing to the next round. I listened to my coach’s instructions during the bout, and this really helped me to come out victorious,” he disclosed.
After taking out the experienced Ghanaian, Omole’s confidence rose higher as he saw a pathway to Paris for himself even when there remained three more fights to bag the ticket. Thus the Lagos-born pugilist was ruthless in the quarterfinal with his second knockout against Namibia’s Morning Ndevelo to berth in the semifinal.
The explosive semifinal bout again brought out the best in Omole who had to endure the three rounds of heavy fisticuffs to record a unanimous 5-0 decision against Cameroon’s Christian Sangue and set up a final clash against another skillful boxer in Ethiopia’s Yadesa Leta.
Omole started well against the stubborn Ethiopian to win the first round and he continued the fine display in the second. However, Leta came out smoking in the third round aiming for a knockout against the Nigerian. But Omole rose to the occasion, taking it all in his stride to be crowned the champion and secured the sole ticket in the weight division to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Narrating his journey to Paris, a delighted Omole told NationSport that the road was indeed bumpy. He said: “I have faced a lot of challenges in boxing especially during the national trials. I went from one trial to another as some coaches were bent on sending me packing to bring in their own boxers into that weight category. One of the challenges I faced was maintaining my weight as I have been fighting 57kg for over seven years which is not easy for me at all.
“My journey to pick the ticket to Paris has been a memorable one. It has always been my target to go for the Olympic Games. I tried to qualify for Tokyo 2020 by putting in so much hard work but Nigeria was unable to sponsor the team to the qualifiers. But thank God, we qualified for the Olympic Games in 2024 and I’m very proud of myself, my family and my country for sponsoring us to the qualifiers,” he added.
Omole is from a family which takes their spirituality seriously. This devotion to spiritual matters was instrumental to his taking to boxing eventually, and not football which he had also pursued with boxing simultaneously.
“My decision to choose boxing ahead of football was based on the advice of my mother who is also a pastor. My mother has been my prophet from the day I started sports and she used to give me a lot of advice. She pointed me to the fact that since I have been playing football, what have I gained. But through boxing, I was able to pay for my school certificate examination and other things I needed. She urged me to reconsider my decision to follow my dream and she supported me with prayers. I had to abandon football and face boxing, and this is it now. Glory to Almighty God,” Omole revealed.
“My parents played a great role in my career. They supported me with prayers even though we all know some parents don’t like it when their children go into boxing. My parents gave me the go-ahead and supported me with prayers as well as inspired me to aim higher. When I won the Olympics slot, the first thing that came to my mind was remembering the support of my church, family, manager and many more people. I am so excited because I already had that agreement with my God that I will praise Him for giving me the chance to qualify,” he added.
Having landed in Paris, Omole’s goal now is to make it to the podium at the Games: “With God, all things are possible. I know I am going to bring back a medal when returning to Nigeria and I believe God will make it happen. My target at the Olympics is to come back with gold and I know God will do it for me. But I need support to do well in Paris. For you to be an Olympian and be able to represent your country, especially with the Olympics coming up in Paris, I don’t think I should train in Nigeria. For me to be able to bring out the best in me, I don’t think I should train in Nigeria. I wish to go on training tour to build up my ability before the Olympics because it will never end here as the result of hard work is more hard work.”
Omole is thankful for what boxing has done for him in life. “Boxing has impacted a lot of things in my life, especially in helping me to mold my character, stay loyal and humble. It has helped me to build respect for people. The sport means a lot to me. Sometimes, when I am idle and not with gloves, I feel bad. When I’m not training, I feel weak,” he disclosed.
Boxing to Omole is a priority for now as he said: “I can’t quit boxing for anything right now. I’m not where I want to be, and it is not over until it is over. I’m already a professional boxer with nine fights and nine wins but I still have the feeling that I can still box at amateur level, and I still want to represent my country which is why I competed to be part of the Olympic team.
“I must thank my coach for bringing me back to the team because he knows I am capable, and I have the zeal. During my amateur days, I was unable to represent my country or make it to the camp. The coach had to call me back to the team to represent the country. I pray not to disappoint him at the Olympic Games,” he said.
Like his young charge, Omole’s Manager, Gift Cole, believes the pugilist has what it takes to make it to the podium in Paris.
Cole, who discovered Omole in 2021 said: “I wasn’t really surprised with his qualification for the Olympic Games because I already knew how skillful and talented the young chap is. So there’s nothing to be surprised about him qualifying for the Olympics. He trains hard and is also dedicated to boxing.
“It is not really about how far he can go at the Olympics. The fact that he made it to the Olympics alone, that’s a big achievement. And in terms of how far I think he can go the answer is: the sky can only be his beginning and I’m sure he will fly his family colours and that of Nigeria as well and even make me feel proud as someone who signed him at a young age and believing in him to not let him get discouraged in what he loves doing,” Cole added.
However, Cole charged all Nigerian boxers heading to Paris to seize the opportunity of a lifetime. His words: “My advice to all boxers that made it to the Olympics from Nigeria is that they should know that this is the dream of every athlete – to make it to the Olympics. So since they are there, they should give it their best and all. Train hard, be determined and stay focused; don’t be scared of anyone you are going to face in Paris.”
“It is possible for any of the athletes to win medals at the Olympics; if only our country and government can give them all the support they deserve and don’t neglect them over there in France,” the US-based former WBF junior middleweight champion said.
