Nigeria has called her boxers to be prepared for the Paris 2004 Olympic Games for trials in Lagos, the commercial capital of the Nigeria.
Secretary-General of the Nigeria Boxing Federation, Akinyele Oladapo in a letter dated 7th July and dispatched to state directors of sports and made available to Patmos Media Line Sports Desk directed the pugilists to report in camp on Thursday, 18th July 2023.
The boxers who would be accommodated at the Lt. Gen. Minimah (Rtd) Hostel at the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos where the training and elimination exercise would take place at the boxing gym on 19th and 20th July.
The letter indicated that boxers “should come along with their training kits. They are to also scan their International Passports as well as produce four copies of their recent passport photographs”.
The secretary-general hinted that any boxer who lost his or her bout at the trials was expected to vacate the camp the next day after such loss.
The Summer Olympic Games comes up in Paris, France from Friday 26th July – Sunday 11th August 2024.
Nigeria did not field any boxer at the Tokyo Japan Games that ran from 23rd July – August 8th 2021 where fielding 55 competitors of 25 male and 30 females, she placed 74th in the world wining winning only two medals. Blessing Oborududu won Silver in Women’s Freestyle 68Kg wrestling and Ese Brune won Bronze at the Women’s Long Jump while Nigeria did not field a single Boxer in the event where she used to hold sway at the global level.
In 2016 at Rio de Jainerio in Brazil, Nigeria paraded 77 competitors in 10 Sporting events where she ranked 78th in the world coming back home with only one medal which was Bronze in Mens’ Football.
Nigeria’s shining light at Brazil in Boxing was Efe Ajagba in Mens’ Super Heavy Weight and he lost to Ivan Dycho of Kazakstan 0-3 in the quarterfinals.
Boxers invited to camp in 51Kg Men are Adeoti Fawzas – Edo; Balogun Awawal – Ogun; Adeagbo – Michael – Rivers and Udoko Marvelous – Delta. Also 57 Kg Men are Kukoyi Wahab – Delta; Obayomi Abeeb – Nasarawa; Quazin Quyum – Niger and Equuare Iyalakhue –Edo. 63.5 Kg Men are Rilwan Ige – Oyo; Adefemi Adeniji – Lagos; Hakeem Rilwan Niger and Gabriel Simon Katsina.
For 67Kg Men are Abdullahi Saheed – Lagos; Hassan Akeem – Delta; Daniel Joshua – Plateau and Hassan Folly – Edo, For 711kg are Godstime Sunday – Delta; Fatai Moshood – Oyo; Seun Ariola – Borno and Ibrahim Yakubu – Edo. For 75kg are David Akintola – Rivers; Saheed Jamiu – Kwara; Oloyede Adewale – Borno and Adeoye Kolawole –Ekiti. For 80Kg are Hyginus Maduchukwu – Abuja; Epuram Onwuaris – Plateau; Sango Muritala – Imo and Nojeem Jimoh – Balyesa.
For 92kg Men are Francis Gabriel – Lagos; Taiwo Oluwatobiloba –Ogun; Great Michael –Delta and Michael Agba – Oyo. For +92kg are Chinedu Agbadike –Delta; Ifeanyi Onyekwere – Cross River; Victory Michael –Enugu and Taiwo Rasheed – Oyo.
WOMEN BOXERS.
And now for the women Boxers. 50kg Oyesiji Adeola – Lagos; Adesina Zainab –Balyesa; Olise Gift –Delta and Rita Oyeleye –Borno. For 54kg, Adewale Pelumi – Edo; Kareem Sukura – Lagos; Chidera Monday – Akwa Ibom and Gbadamosi Alimot – Delta. For 57kg are Ojo Joy – Lagos; Samuel Precious – Edo; Azizat Akinremi- Bayelsa and Kemi James –Ondo. For 60kg are Shodipo Abiola –Ogun; Ismail Habibat –Delta; Akanni AnuOluwapo – Lagos and Kalu Kasarachi – Abuja.
Lastly, for 66kg are Queen Acha – Edo; Jesse Peters – Delta; Mistura Oyeneye –Ogun; and Odunlami Elizabeth –Abuja. For 70 Kg are Kate Peters –Edo; Orakwe Blssing – Lagos; Aisha Abdulwahab –Delta and Tijani Faoosyat – Kwara. For 75Kg are Jacinta Omunape –Bayelsa; Blessing Smart – Delta; Ekong Mary – Akwa Ibom and Judith Onyinye – Anambra.
It should be known that the NBF chose four best Boxers in each category for the trials but it is not known how many Boxers will be take to Paris next year.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
