20th January, 2012
An executive member of Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, NBB of C, Victor John, has urged boxing fans in the country to prepare to watch more bouts this year than they have done in the recent years.
John assured boxing fans that it will not be business as usual this year as the board has put in place structures that will enable professional boxing to thrive in the country.
He said: “Fans of professional boxing in the country will now have the opportunities to watch their favourite boxers trading punches this year. The reason is that there will be more shows for professional boxers to express themselves to the delight of their fans.”
The NBB of C topshot said that the current board has fulfilled its pledge to boxing fans in Nigeria by creating awareness that will attract promoters to sponsor professional boxing shows in the country.
“Nigerians can see that new promoters are now springing up to package boxing shows in the country. Our first priority when we came on board is to create awareness that will attract boxing promoters to the country,” said John, who is the chairman of Branch B, Osodi, of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW.
John said further that the bane of professional boxing in Nigeria in the recent past was the dearth of promoters and corporate organisations to sponsor professional boxing tourneys in the country.
“Professional boxing depends on promoters and corporate bodies to sponsor boxing shows. But the sport could not develop because we did not have sufficient promoters and corporate bodies that were willing to sponsor professional boxing bouts,” said John.
John, who was a member of the NBB of C’s delegation to the recently held 49th Annual World Convention of the World Boxing Council, WBC, last December in Las Vegas, USA, said that the annual event is a way to foster friendship among affiliated member-countries.
“The convention is vital for unity among members of the WBC because it is an avenue for the world boxing family to promote friendship among the various bodies and to discuss how professional boxing can move forward,” said John.