Nigeria Content Online

This second Sunday
of 2011, I open my account on a note a few may consider curious, given
the somewhat misplaced perception that I am just a football buff no
more no less. Matters are not helped by friends who gave me the
sobriquet Football Aficionado! But here is something that may interest
you and may well be a talking point, which when thoroughly explored and
the findings adequately addressed, a major sport which put Nigeria
first on the World map in 1958, again in 1962, 1965 and for a long time
thereafter will return with a bang.

An old female
friend of mine now resident in Florida, whom I last saw or communicated
with some twenty-four (24) years ago got connected courtesy Facebook
sometime in December 2010 and we have been playing catch-up. On
Thursday morning she changed the gears and had this to say… ‘All you
talk about is football… so boring… What about boxing etc?’

And I replied thus:

“Well, you are
right but you cannot talk boxing with predominantly Nigerian network
audience on Facebook because boxing is dead in Nigeria today. The only
time you hear of it is when its officials are boxing over money or who
will go on a foreign trip because estacode is involved. The Shell Belt
Championship, our equivalent of the US Golden Gloves Tournament was
last held probably in 1989. There are no local promotions and promoters
since age slowed down ace promoter, Martins Osaile.

Even the amateur
ranks that boasted Commonwealth, Olympic and Africa medallists and
title holders is asphyxiated. We had a Nojeem Maiyegun who won bronze
medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, Fatai Ayinla, Eddie Ndukwu, the
Andeh brothers, Tony and Davidson, Joe Mensah, Isaac Ikhuoria, Obisia
Nwankpa, Peter Konyegwachie, Jeremiah Okorodudu, David Izonritei,
Richard Igbinegu etc who were either Commonwealth, African, Olympic or
world amateur medallists.”

Honestly, apart
from the stymied efforts of officials of the NBBF to prevent Obisia
Nwankpa from doing his job as boxing coach to the best of his ability,
local boxing has been a bleeding ulcer. And there are not many great
international boxing fans because local presentation of the sport is
not exactly attractive. My FB network can hardly pick any! Life is not
made easy with a plethora of World boxing controlling bodies which are
all guilty of throwing up title fights between boxers of questionable
credentials. So locally or internationally boxing is ebbing.

Boxing appear to
have gone full-circle, in Nigeria and abroad because quality is scarce.
Today, apart from Manny Pacquaio, Amir Khan of the United Kingdom,
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the Klitschko brothers, international boxing
is experiencing a drought too and has not offered much since Mike
Tyson. That is the reason two former World heavy-weight boxing
champions Evander Holyfield well into his late forties, is still boxing
and fighting into his grave as did another boxing great, George Foreman.

Diminishing talent

Boxing today is
very lean on talent, extremely pale in colour and short on class.
Roberto “Fists of stone” Duran, the enigmatic Sugar Ray Leonard,
Marvellous Marvin Hagler, Thomas “Hitman” Hearns and Africa’s
contribution to that elite corps of boxers, Uganda’s John “the beast”
Mugabe represent an extinct class of quality boxers.

Add to that, the
greatest of them all, Cassius Clay, the “Louisville lip”, later
Muhammed Ali you can then appreciate what I am saying.

The colour truly
has gone out of boxing. There was the little man from Sheffield,
England, Prince Nassim Hammed in his near Zulu boxing gear that did
have great following too but boxing needs to re-invent itself to get
its followership back.

The critical point
being made here however is the fading glory of Nigeria’s boxing
characterised by management personnel without vision, passion or
commitment. Since the passing on of Air force Officer, Brai Ayonote,
Nigeria’s boxing has been unable to throw up a manager of repute. There
is nobody to lead the way. Pretenders returning less than average
results pervade the Nigeria boxing scene. A sport that could have done
Nigeria a lot more than football has done is suffering from abject
neglect even after producing four World boxing Champions in Hogan
Bassey, Dick Tiger, Bash Ali and Samuel Peter.

Going down memory
lane, Nigeria hosted professional boxing title fights between
1975-2006. These involved boxers like Custom man Joe Lasisi, Hogan
“Atomic bomb” Jimoh, Dele Jonathan and Bash Ali. Even Obisia Nwankpa
tested his kill for a World boxing title with Saoul Mamby. We have also
disappeared from the African boxing radar. I do not recall a Nigerian
boxer with an African title today.

Going forward, I
would like to see a re-organised Nigeria Boxing Board Federation and a
professional body stepping forward to re-invent the game in Nigeria.
There are possibilities from the amateur to professional ranks for the
Nigerian boxer. Let us re-jig the business by shaking up amateur boxing
and getting quality and strength together in at least twenty-two boxers
between the ages of 17-20 years first into a four- year development
programme under the tutelage of experienced coaches from Cuba.

The programme will
prepare and gear up its products for the African and Commonwealth
boxing events as well as the Olympic especially the one for 2016. After
the 2016 Olympics the best of them would be encouraged to step up to
the professional ranks to earn big money, honour and glory. But they
must be guided through a deliberate plan adequately funded. The
Nigerian boxing federation, NABA can institute a business enterprise
unit; engage professionals to manage this initiative for honour and
profit.

Nostalgia fills me
up when I recall from the pages of history, Hogan “kid” Bassey MBE
originally Okon Bassey Asuquo, born in Calabar 3rd June 1932. He was
Nigeria’s first world boxing Champion. He turned professional while
still at school, winning and then losing the Nigerian flyweight title
in 1949. He became Commonwealth Champion and in 1958 became World
Flyweight Champion. Yes, he lost it on the eve on Nigeria’s
independence in 1960 but he was World Champion in boxing and Nigeria’s
first.

And Dick Tiger,
Nigeria’s second World boxing Champion and until Samuel Peter’s very
short reign. Dick Tiger CBE, born Richard Ihetu August 14, 1929 hailed
from Ubahu Village, Amaigbo,

Anambra State. He
was a very active fighter, full of energy, and capable of beating
bigger men. His boxing career record was: fought 81; won 60; lost 18
and drew 3. He was a two-time undisputed world middleweight title
holder. He became World undisputed Light-Heavyweight Champion. Tiger
won his first middle weight title in 1962, and was a popular fighter at
the famous Madison Square Gardens, New York.

Such was the texture of Nigeria’s boxing those days of yore. God
Almighty is not going to come down to do it for us. Somebody has to
step forward to do it. That somebody is not going to be me because I
have my hands full already with youth football, American Football for
Lagos State and miscellaneous interests in sport. Until next week
folks…the labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain.