Sports
Coach Urges NSC To Revive Boxing
David Amade, the Presi
dent, Nigeria Boxing Coaches Association, on Sunday urged the National Sports Commission (NSC), to revive the lost glory of boxing in the country.
Amade told newsmen in Lagos that the commission should bankroll a national boxing competition to produce boxer that would restore the lost glory days of the sport.
According to him, the sport has in the past delivered medals to the country at major international competitions prior to its decline.
“The neglect of boxing by government has been responsible for the loss of its glory. It has always been a source of medals for the country
“In fact, the first three Olympic medals came from boxing. But one cannot imagine why the sport appears to have been abandoned.
“It will be good for the government to revive the sport through regular sponsorship of competitions as well as extending motivation to boxers as the country has great talents in the sport.’’
According to the president, the strength of many youths in the country can be positively channelled into the sport to make them productive.
Amade commended the board of the Nigeria Amateur Boxing Federation for seeking the cooperation of coaches in its activities.
He urged the board to extend its sponsorship drive to corporate bodies and public spirited individuals.
He said that the boxers would need to have not less than four to five competitions annually to raise world class boxers.
“Motivation is the key to get the best in any person. Currently, boxers are poorly motivated and this has discouraged many talents,’’ he said.
Nigeria won its first Olympic medal through late Nojeem Maiyegun, who won a bronze medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic in light middleweight class.
Nigeria also won another bronze in the 1972 Munich Games through Issac Ikhuoria in the light heavyweight class.
Peter Konyegwachia won silver for Nigeria at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic in the feather weight class, while David Izonritei (heavyweight) and Richard Igbineghu (Super heavyweight) won silver each at the Barcelona Games.
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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