Sports
Boxing Talents Discovery Excites Sponsor
No fewer than 20 ama
teur boxers participated in the 54th edition of the monthly Lagos Boxing Show at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre (Rowe Park), Yaba, which was witnessed by large spectators.
The championship, organised by the Boxing Hall of Fame (LSBHF), is a talent hunt programme at the grassroots.
It is sponsored by Mr Olawale Edun, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance and currently, the Chairman, LSBHF.
Edun told newsmen at the event that the competition was a good platform for young boxers to showcase their talents and also help them to develop their skills.
“It is also to prepare them for future challenges in boxing.
“Talents discovered will be trained and encouraged to take to professional boxing.’’
The chairman announced the postponement of the 55th edition scheduled for last Saturday in July because of Ramadan.
Edun said:“I am happy for our young stars and I demand for more support from the communities, various organisations including the youth department of our local governments.
“I thank Governor Babatunde Fashola for his support, consistency and sustainability of this championship since its inception.
“We are using this edition to greet all our Muslim brothers, Ramadan Kareem.’’
Mrs Patricia Gbadegesin, the Principal, Army Cantonment Secondary School, Ikeja, advised the boxers to be focused and also face their educational pursuit.
“Education will help them to make progress faster.
“Athletes with boxing skills should combine the sport with education because it will help them to go places,” she said.
One of the athletes, Elizabeth Oshoba, said that tactics deployed, her height and the training she received gave her victory over her opponent, and promised to improve on them.
“I defeated my opponent because I was taller than her and I was calculating the way she throws her punches at me; in fact, the training I received gave me the opportunity to win.”
Samuel Ebohen from Champion Boxing Club defeated Victor Stun from Glorious Boxing Club in the 91 kg category, while Femi Akintayo from Star Boxing Club overpowered Kudus Aliu from Tenbernson Boxing Club in the 75kg category.
Elegbede Samuel from Smarth Boxing Club gave Demola Olaleye from Wesco Boxing Club in the 69kg a showdown, while Kazeem Saka from Kamlat Boxing Club overwhelmed Hammed Rufai from Morgan Boxing Club in the 64kg category.
Elizabeth Oshoba from Smarth Boxing Club defeated Musa Adesewa from Progressive Boxing Club in the female categories in the 51kg event among other categories.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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