10th March, 2011
There are strong indications that Nigeria may be planning to fail in the boxing event of the All Africa Games which will take place in Maputo, Mozambique in September.
The promise of the Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Professor Taoreed Adedoja, to call the athletes to camp by the end of February could not materialise due to unforseen circumstances. If the boxers for the All Africa Games’ preparation were to be called to camp today, facilities to train them are not in place.
Head coach of the Nigeria Boxing Federation, NBF, Obisia Nwakpa, is not happy about the situation and he has called on the authorities to do something immediately.
He expressed dissatisfaction over the non-availability of boxing gyms and kits for the boxers ahead of the All Africa Games in Mozambique.
The NBF Head Coach told newsmen that the quest of Nigerian pugilists to win laurels at the All Africa Games could be jeopardised if the necessary equipment to put the boxers in good shape are not available.
He said the boxing gym at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria, is out of the boxers’ reach due to renovation works, adding that the federation is running behind schedule as other countries’ boxers have commenced intensive training for the Games.
According to him, the former Commonwealth Games lightweight championm, NBF has not been able to stage a national boxing championship since last year, a situation that has not given the federation’s coaches a chance to assess the fitness level of the boxers.