Boxing: Bash Ali, Minister’s Rift Deepens

The problem between World Boxing Federation, WBF, Cruiserweight champion, Bashiru Lawrence Ali, OON, and the Chairman of National Sports Commission/Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has no solution in sight.

The crisis has resulted in the Nigerian Sports Ambassador, who is popularly called Bash Ali by his admirers instructing his lawyer, Emmanuel Danjuma Subilim, Esq., to write the minister of an impending lawsuit.

In the letter, a copy which was made available to P.M.NEWS Sports, Bash Ali averred that his freedom of movement was bridged by the minister’s security details on 6 June, 2013. The lawyer said his client was at the minister’s office to among other things know the level of preparation in terms of providing the enabling environment for the World Guinness Book of Record Fight which President Goodluck Jonathan had mandated the NSC to support its organisation in Nigeria, why the Local Organizing Committee, LOC, for the private investors was not inaugurated since 6 March and what the NSC was doing to meet the International Boxing Union, IBU, 7 June deadline.

Bash Ali also alleged that the minister threatened to withdraw support for the fight if he did not part with half of the money to be realised from the proposed world championship, while Abdullahi also told the world at a ministerial press briefing on 10 June that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the NSC did not have the required funds for Ali’s fight.

Ali is however seeking an unreserved written apology and a publication of the written apology in three national and international newspapers as well as the payment of the sum of N5 billion as compensations.

The boxer has also alerted President Goodluck through another letter of the NSC’s refusal to carry out a presidential order of FG’s support for the fight. He said that that if Nigeria does not move with deliberate speed to host this bout, the hosting right might go to another country.

“I am wondering should Nigeria lose the opportunity to host this fight to another country, which country’s national anthem would be played for me before the fight and which country would I be representing? No, God forbid bad thing because I want to represent my country, Nigeria,” Bash Ali said.