- Mourned By Oyo Boxing Association, Alaafin
After a protracted battle with ill health, a boxing legend, Dele Jonathan, former African and Commonwealth boxing champion gave up the ghost in his Elewura Challenge, Ibadan home at 8:00a.m Saturday morning, July 29, 2017.
Jonathan had been for the past seven years battling with his health after he was diagnosed of having prostate enlargement at the University College Hospital (UCH) where he had the first phase of his surgery but could not afford the cost for further medical care.
While narrating his last moment the wife said “we have been managing his health all these while until the early hours of Saturday when he woke up at 3:00a.m to demanded for water and went back to his sleep, I fed him with his breakfast in the morning afterwards he vomited the food and gave up the ghost at precisely 8:a.m.”
Reacting to the death, the Chairman Oyo State Amateur Boxing Association (OSABA) Chief Baron Akintunde Opaleye described the circumstances surrounding the former boxing champion’s demise as a pitiable one, urging our government to pay more attention to the plights of our sporting heroes especially at their trying times.
Also morning the late Jonathan was the boxing enthusiast and respected Yoruba Monarch, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo described Jonathan as a stylish pugilist during his active days in the ring.
He, however regretted the loss saying he was determined to support the welfare of the ex-boxing champ but lost communication link with him, while pledging to support in giving him a befitting burial.
It would be recalled that Alaafin in July 2014 gave the former African and Commonwealth and boxing champion Dele Jonathan about N300,000 lifeline to support his medical treatment, after Mutichoice, the sponsor of GOTV Boxing Night also supported him with proceeds generated from one of their Boxing shows.
Packaged by Olanrewaju Agiri
