Boxing: End Of Year Review: Period Of Empty Promises

George Taylor, former NBF boss.

•George Taylor, former NBF boss.

“If wishes were horses beggars would ride” this saying aptly described what happened  in the first quarter of the outgoing year 2010 under review.

•George Taylor, former NBF boss.

With promises coming at the beginning of the year from three stakeholders;  Secretary General of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control, NBB, of C, Remi Aboderin;  a boxing promoter, Cyril Olanrenwaju and a former President of  Nigeria Boxing  Federation, NBF, Rotimi George-Taylor, both amateur, professional boxers and boxing  lovers thought there would be an unprecedented boxing show to keep them busy.  But  they were wrong, as there was little or nothing to show for the promises made.

Apart from the two professional boxing shows; The Awekeen Punches Boxing  Extravaganza and the Pugilists At Work, there were really no boxing shows to keep  the boxers busy.

Even, The Awekeen Punches Boxing Extravaganza was marred by the behaviour of fans  who made trouble at the venue; Indoor Sports Hall, National Stadium, Surulere,  Lagos, Nigeria. During the period,  three boxers were penalised by  the NBB Of C .

Two of the boxers, former Commonwealth Games silver medalist, Oluwafemi Ajayi and a  former National champion, Felix Friday were sanctioned for the unrest caused by  their fans after  losing their fights, while Idowu Akinsola was sanctioned for  bringing the sport into disrepute.

On Akinsola’s case, the NBB Of C alleged that being a professional boxer, he should  know the rules and regulation of the sport and could have helped to put the  situation under control.

George-Taylor at the beginning of the year gave his words that he was going to do  all within his power to keep the amateur boxers in Nigeria busy; but it was only one  competition, staged by the Okumagba Community in Epe, Lagos, Nigeria that was  organised.

Apparently aware that the promises made were empty ones, former Olympian, Jeremiah  Okorodudu predicted then that boxing in the quarter under review would go from bad  to worse.

The former boxer, turned boxing coach, who also represented Nigeria in the  Middleweight boxing event at the 1984 Olympic Games, said there were clear pointers  that boxing in Nigeria would nosedive, alleging  that the administrators were only  there to enrich themselves to the detriment of the square-roped sport.

In faraway Nevada, United States of America, USA, where former World Boxing Council,  WBC champion, Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter filed a law suit in Clark County  District Court in USA.

The Akwa Ibom State-born professional pugilist claimed that his former promoters:  Don King and Dino Duva were owing him more than $400,000  promised him for his  October 2008 bout against Vitali Klitschko.

However, the only thing worthy of note during the period under review was the  commendation given to the chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Comrade Ayodele  Adewale, for giving the FESTAC Boxing Club and Academy’s gym a face-lift.

He was commended by Chief Coach of the Academy, Oluwafemi Sholanke.

The coach praised the chairman for making good his promise of giving the gym a new  look.

In conclusion, boxing did not give Nigerian boxers anything special to celebrate  during the quarter.

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