30th November, 2012
Amoo Usman, who is representing Lagos State in the 65kg of Dambe event of the ongoing National Sports Festival has declared that his aim is to clinch the gold medal in his weight category.
He hinged his optimism on the preparation he had before the competition and his wealth of experience in the pugilist sport, adding that he is ready for his opponents.
“I’m a Yoruba man, but this sport has taken me across the length and breadth of the Northern side of the country. I have beaten some of my opponents, in some cases, denied some of them the chances to use their teeth to eat and even sent some to their early retirement in the game.
“But I’m yet to see a challenger that can deny me the chance of clinching gold medal for Lagos State,” Usman boasted
The Oyo State-born pugilist disclosed that there is no going back as he is looking forward to presenting the gold medal to the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola.
“I’m ready to confront opponent in my quest to win the gold medal in my weight category. There is nobody that can deny me the chance of presenting the gold medal to Governor Fashola at the end of this festival.”
He described as unfounded tales that Dambe is a sport meant for touts, declaring that, “Dambe is just like every other sport, it is only those that see the sport from afar that tend to label us as touts, but in the real sense we are just like every other sportsman.”
With scars all over his face, Usman said: “I’m not ready for marriage now because I’m married to Dambe. When the time comes, any lady that wants to marry me would do that because of love and not how my face looks.”
—ADEBOBOLA ALAWODE