1,000 Boxers Storm Lagos For National Trials

At least 1,000 boxers from 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja are expected in Lagos from 16-24 August for the 2013 National Open Boxing Championship.

The competition, which will hold at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, will be used to select boxers that will represent the country at the forthcoming 18th African Elite Boxing Championship in Mauritius, AIBA Youth Women Championship in Belgium, AIBA World Boxing Championship in Kazakhstan , 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Youth Olympic Games.

President of Nigeria Boxing Federation, NBF, Major General KTJ Minimah, said at a media parley in Lagos at the weekend that the Lagos trials is part of the federation’s intent to discovered talents, expose them to rigorous competitive conditions.

“Each state has the opportunity to present one boxer in all the ten weight categories for the male event and three for the female category.

“The male boxers will fight in 49kg, 52kg, 56kg, 60kg, 64kg, 69kg, 75kg, 81kg, 91kg and +91kg. In the women’s event, the pugilists will fight in 51kg, 60kg and 75kg,” said the president through a board member of the federation, Ogbu Osondu.

He said a three-day Referee/Judge Proficiency Upgrade Workshop will hold during the competition with the aim of upgrading the knowledge of Nigeria’s referees and judges on the new AIBA Rules and regulations, especially the 10-point scoring system which had taken effect worldwide since June this year. One of the board members, Azania Omo-Agege said the tournament, sponsored by the NBF president, will be staged in consonance with the new AIBA rules as the federation wants to impact these new rules on Nigerian boxers now.