Sports
Boxing Needs More Corporate Support -WABU President
The President of the West African Boxing Union (WABU), Remi Aboderin, has called on corporate organisations in Nigeria to emulate pay television service provider, GOtv’s support for Nigerian boxing.
Aboderin, also the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), said that GOtv’s intervention had helped to revive boxing in Nigeria.
The WABU president addressed journalists in Lagos on Wednesday night to announce the 18th edition of the GOtv Boxing Night scheduled on Sunday in Ibadan.
He said that support from more organisations would strengthen boxing in the country.
“Nobody connected to Nigerian boxing will fail to see the strides being made by the sport since GOtv intervened in 2014.
“Its intervention, which has seen it invest huge sums, time, organisation, logistics, especially the live broadcast of the event by SuperSport, has rescued our beloved sport from irrelevance.
“I can tell you that we, at the NBB of C, are happy, boxers are happy, sub-regional and continental boxing bodies such as the African Boxing Union are also happy for GOtv’s support,’’ Abodrein said.
He urged other corporate organisations to emulate GOtv to ensure Nigerian boxing’s return to the top.
“With more corporate support, it will happen faster.
“Under five years of sponsoring GOtv Boxing Night and GOtv Boxing NextGen Search, Nigerian boxing has regained prominence on the African and Commonwealth scenes.
“Our boxers are sought after, as many champions have been made. We need to go a few notches higher, and that will happen if others show similar commitment,” he added.
Tidesports source reports that the 18th edition of the GOtv Boxing Night is scheduled to hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan, on April 21.
The eight-fight show will feature two international duels, the ABU lightweight title clash between Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph of Nigeria and Ghana’s Success “Brave Warrior” Tetteh, and an international light middleweight clash between Akeem “Dodo” Sadiku of Nigeria and Ekpresso Djamihou of the Republic of Benin.
Also on the card is the national super featherweight title bout between Ridwan ‘Scorpion” Oyekola and the champion, Taofeek “Taozon” Bisuga.
Other boxers in action include Rilwan “Baby Face” Babatunde, WABU welterweight champion, going against Ganiyu “Energy” Kolawole, while Tope “Esepo” Agbaje will battle Michael “Holy Mike” Jacobs.
Young, dynamic and fast puncher, Opeyemi “Sense” Adeyemi, has a chance to prove his qualities when he fights Isaac “I Star” Chukwudi in a national title challenge.
The organisers, as usual, has N1 million prize for the best boxer of the night which has given the event that edge over the years.
Sports
NBF eyes Commonwealth Games redemption
The Nigeria Boxing Federation has set its sights on six gold medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as the body looks to recover from the administrative turmoil that undermined its preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
NBF Vice President Omonlei Imadu told our correspondent, “Our target is 10 medals, six gold, while others can come in silver and bronze colours. We are truly determined to make this a reality in Glasgow.
“We have moved focus now to the camping phase. Our aim is to ensure that the boxers are in perfect shape during and after the camping.”
Diaspora boxer Patricia Mbata, the African Games gold medallist based in the United Kingdom, was among the women’s finalists, while Kenneth Anigboro topped the men’s 90kg class. Other female finalists are Udoette Happiness and Gafar Fathia (51kg), Ajishola Kadijat and Gbadamosi Aishat (57kg), Sodipe Damilola and Ismail Abibat (65kg), Blessing Orakwe (70kg), and James Queen and Odoka Celestina (above 70kg). The male finalists are Ogunremi Michael and Habeeb Qazeem (55kg), Abdulwahab Abdulrahmon and Saliu Ridwan (65kg), Folly Hassan and Nwoha Precious (70kg), Daniel Joshua and Sharafadeen Fawas (80kg), and Anigboro Kenneth and Abiodun Adesoji (90kg).
National Sports Commission Director General Bukola Olopade, who attended Nigeria’s Commonwealth trials, also expressed optimism about Nigeria’s prospects.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that Nigeria have a successful outing at the Games, and the prospects in boxing truly excite me,” he said.
Nigeria’s push for improvement comes after the backdrop of a difficult period for the sport at the last Olympics.
Boxers who competed at Paris 2024 also raised concerns about poor preparation, with Zainab Adeshina stating there was no adequate equipment for training and Ifeanyi Onyekwere describing the build-up as a one-week camp filled with stress.
Nigeria also suffered a 4-3 defeat to Ghana in a Commonwealth Games warm-up friendly in Accra recently, a result Imadu acknowledged as a reminder of the work still required, while noting that the federation was in advanced talks with two other nations over additional preparatory fixtures before the Games.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from July 24 to August 1 at the SEC Centre in Glasgow, where boxing will feature across 14 events — seven men’s and seven women’s categories.
The NBF vice president also commended the board members for their commitment and altruism towards the welfare of the athletes.
“As a federation, we would like to appreciate these board members for their patriotism. This is an attestation of their dedication to the advancement of boxing in the country. As a body, we would continue to encourage the selflessness of our colleagues so we can collectively deliver on our mandate to revamp the squared ropes sports across the board,” he said.
The Yucateco boss further states the NBF’s readiness to deliver medals at the Games in Glasgow.
“Like I said previously, our focus has not shifted. We strongly believe that every boxer on the plane to Scotland must return with a medal for Nigeria, hence we took the lead as the only federation to call its athletes to camp ahead of time. 30 of our boxers have been in camp since April, and the federation has been solely responsible for their welfare since they commenced training,” Imadu added.
At the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, nine Nigerian fighters returned with four medals — one silver through Elizabeth Oshoba and bronzes for Cynthia Ogunsemilore, Jacinta Umunnakwe and Ifeanyi Onyekwere.
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Sports
Remo To rebuild After NPFL Relegation
Remo Stars were relegated on Sunday after a 1-1 draw against Bendel Insurance F.C. in Benin City.
The Sky Blue Stars initially looked on course for survival when experienced striker Victor Mbaoma gave them the lead on the stroke of half-time, but the situation changed dramatically deep into stoppage time when Chijioke Akuneto equalised for Bendel Insurance to secure a 1-1 draw.
The delayed fixture between Kun Khalifat F.C. and Wikki Tourists F.C. later confirmed Remo’s fate, with the newcomers winning 3-1 to preserve their top-flight status and condemn Remo Stars to life in the second division.
In the wake of a season that saw them garner just 47 points from 38 games, only one year after winning the league title, the Sky Blue Stars described the outcome as heartbreaking.
“We understand the disappointment and frustration this season has brought. We did not deliver the performances or consistency required to maintain our place in the division. We take full responsibility for that failure.’’
“To our fans who filled the stands, supported the team online and stood by us even during our darkest moments, thank you. Your loyalty means everything, and we recognise that we owe you much more than what this season produced.
“Our focus now turns towards rebuilding with purpose and determination. Important decisions will be made, and every effort will be directed towards returning this club to where it belongs.”
They became the first defending NPFL champions to suffer relegation since Bayelsa United in the 2009/10 season.
They also became only the fourth reigning league champions to drop into the second tier during a title defence campaign after Stationery Stores in 1993 and Shooting Stars in 1999.
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