Tag: the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC)

The Oyo State Chapter of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC) has concluded plans to organize a three-day training course for boxing referees and judges between  Thursday, 28^th  August  and Sunday, 31^st  August at Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resorts, Akanran, Ibadan.

The Chairman of Oyo NBBofC, Hon. Gbenga Opaleye, explained that the initiative aims to improve officiating standards of professional boxing in Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole, stressing that the program, which doesn’t come often, is a lifetime opportunity for boxing enthusiasts nursing an ambition of becoming a boxing ring official to realize their dream.

“We have decided to bring very reputable referee-judge trainers that have officiated across the world to impart their wealth of experience and knowledge to our aspiring referees and judges. When officiating is not good, you can’t expect your sport to grow. But when you have good officiating, it encourages the sport to grow,” he noted.

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Opaleye added: “After the three-day course, a certificate of participation will be issued to all participants, while successful boxing referees that pass the stipulated exams and are adjudged qualified will be decorated with an NBBofC badge that qualifies such individuals as professional boxing referees.”

However, he urged sports’ enthusiastic individuals in Oyo State to rally the association by sponsoring or supporting the event, stating: “It’s a significant event that will transform our professional boxing in Oyo State, demonstrating our serious approach to boxing in this state.”

Oyo NBBofC Secretary Olanrewaju Agiri also stated that the training represents a significant advancement in the board’s efforts to elevate professional boxing standards in Oyo State.

 “This training is a crucial investment in our officials’ development. We’re not just teaching rules; we’re building capacity for better decision-making and more professional officiating in Oyo State boxing,” Agiri said.

He emphasized that this initiative would not only enhance the officiating skills of the participants but also inspire confidence in the sport among boxers and fans alike. With ongoing support and commitment, Oyo State is poised to become a prominent hub for professional boxing in Nigeria.

The executives of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC), led by Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, over the weekend performed a ceremonial pull-out known as Final Bell: A Pull-Out Ceremony for the recently departed former national and West African light-heavyweight champion, Segun ‘Success’ Olanrewaju, who collapsed during a boxing match in Ghana.

This was observed during the boxing show organized by Balmoral Group Promotions at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Friday and another boxing show held inside the National Institute of Sports (NIS) indoor sports hall, Surulere, Lagos, on Sunday.

All the members of the boxing sanctioning body, the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, were clad to wear T-shirts bearing the mourning pix of the late boxer and observe a moment of silence with a round-12 bell salute; a final bell in boxing tradition that signals the end of a great fighter’s journey was performed. 

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Dr. Ladipo,  while performing the ritual, said, “Though Olanrewaju Segun ‘Success’ has left the ring of life, his spirit will continue to echo in every gym, every glove, and every boxing gathering. Rest on, champ. You fought the good fight.”

NBBofC Secretary General Remi Aboderin, who coordinated the two bouts, also said: “Today we gather not in mourning, but in celebration of a life that punched through adversity, round after round. We honour Segun Success, a warrior of the ring and of the heart.

 “We are alive to our responsibilities concerning this tragic incident, and we have been doing all in our power to ensure all hidden facts about this death in the ring are unveiled and unravelled, as we have forwarded our petition to the Ghana Professional Boxing Board.”

“Our deepest condolences to the family of the fallen “Ring Soldier” Oluwasegun “Success” Olanrewaju; may his amiable soul rest in perfect peace.”