By Akeem Busari
In a united front, Nigerian boxing stakeholders have raised their voices against a clandestine move by certain individuals to realign the country’s boxing federation from World Boxing to the International Boxing Association (IBA).
World Boxing remains the only international federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to oversee the sport at the Olympic Games. Any national federation not affiliated with it risks disqualification from future Olympic boxing events and other IOC-sanctioned championships.
The stakeholders warned that some “foreign agents” are allegedly attempting to infiltrate the newly inaugurated board of the Nigerian Boxing Federation (NBF) after being promised a $2.3 million grant by IBA to lure the country into affiliation with the Switzerland-based association.
They have therefore urged the NBF leadership to remain vigilant and resist all external manipulations capable of derailing Nigeria’s Olympic aspirations.
It would be recalled that the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Engr. Habu Gumel, had earlier congratulated the new NBF board while emphasizing the need to protect the careers of Nigerian athletes by maintaining ties with World Boxing.
Prominent boxing veterans, including Joe Mensah, Isaac Ikhoria, Alhaji Masha, Pa Muili Ojo, Ajani Aremu, Bolaji Ezekiel, Omoruyi Roland, and William Azano, among others, have thrown their weight behind the call. They advised the NOC and National Sports Commission (NSC) to caution foreign influences seeking to exploit Nigerian sports for selfish gains.
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