Sports
Joshua Should Rebuild Before Ruiz Jr. Rematch
Anthony Joshua should consider taking “one or two fights” to rebuild before facing Andy Ruiz Jr in a rematch, says Amir Khan.
Joshua, 29, lost his IBF, WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles to Ruiz in a massive upset in New York on 1 June.
Khan said that when he lost for the first time in 2008, it proved “the best thing that ever happened to me” as it prompted a “rebuild”.
“I don’t think he should fight Ruiz straight away,” said Khan, 32.
“If he fights him again, it will be very hard to overcome that. I thought it would be very good for Joshua to have one or two fights to rebuild himself and his confidence.
“Not that he needs it but while you have the opportunity to do that, you might as well.
“In boxing, people just want to see you in harder and harder fights. Had he won, people would want him in with Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury.
“He’s so young as a heavyweight, this would give him a chance to improve on things and come back stronger.
“Then when it does come to be time for Wilder and Fury, he would be more than ready. Maybe defeat by Ruiz will be a blessing for him.”
Joshua – whose defeat by Ruiz was the first of his career – has a contractual right to a rematch with the American-born Mexican, slated for later this year.
Khan too was stunned in 2008 by Breidis Prescott, as he was stopped for the first defeat of his career. He has since compiled a record of 33 wins and five defeats, including a world-title reign at super-lightweight.
“There’s always pressure on you when you get beaten,” added Khan. “You think: ‘Do I still have it in me?’
“People start saying you’re not what they thought you would be. That does affect you mentally. You have to use the criticism as motivation.
“Getting beaten so early in my career, I learned to build myself up again. I had to prove people wrong – and becoming a world champion was a good way to stop critics.
in Saudi Arabia as I never knew if I would get the opportunity again.”
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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