Amateur boxing coaches and boxers on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest at the Nigerian Amateur Boxing Association office, located at the Brai Ayonote Boxing Complex, National Stadium, Lagos, to express their dissatisfaction with the Nigeria Boxing Federation‘s (NBF) selection process for athletes representing the country at the ongoing Commonwealth Games.
The protesters carried banners and placards bearing various inscriptions, calling on the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, and the Chairman of the Nigeria Boxing Federation, Wale Edun, to urgently intervene in the crisis rocking amateur boxing in the country.
The demonstrators accused the Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Boxing Federation, Yakubu Imadu Omonlei, of being responsible for what they described as manipulation and irregularities in the selection process. They appealed to the NSC Director General and the NBF Chairman to “call him to order” before, according to them, “his inordinate ambition causes more damage to Nigerian boxing.”
The protesters also accused the federation of conducting what they described as an unfair trial process that resulted in the selection of boxers who have failed to impress at the competition. According to the aggrieved coaches, five of the six Nigerian boxers who participated have already been eliminated, with most exiting in the preliminary rounds.
They argued that the disappointing performances reflect flaws in the selection process and called on the federation to prioritize merit and proven performance when choosing athletes for major international competitions.
Addressing the protesters, the Technical Director of the Nigeria Boxing Federation, Babatunde Laguda, appealed for calm and urged the coaches and athletes to formally document their grievances. He assured them that their complaints would be considered through the appropriate channels.
Among those who voiced their concerns was Coach Fatai Azeez of Owonikoko Boxing Club. He highlighted the achievements of his boxer, Adeshina Zainab, questioning why an athlete with an impressive international record was overlooked.
“She won a silver medal at the All African Games in Ghana, reached the final of the Olympic qualifiers in Thailand in 2024, where she narrowly lost to a Finnish boxer in a controversial bout, and also won silver at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia. Since 2023, she has consistently represented Nigeria and has always reached the final stage of competitions,” Azeez said.
Also speaking was Coach Tesleem Adekunbi of Master Boxing Academy, Lagos, who oversees nearly 40 amateur boxers. He expressed disappointment over the selection exercise, insisting that many talented fighters were denied the opportunity to represent the country.
Coach Akinbola Sunday of Achimota 2 Boxing Gym, Lagos, echoed similar sentiments. He noted that his gym has 26 amateur boxers, including Agboola Oyindamola, who has won two gold medals for Lagos State at the National Youth Games.
Coach Ibrahim Oba of Hard Punch Boxing Club, Lagos Island, said his club has close to 50 amateur boxers, with two female athletes from the gym having represented Lagos State and won medals at both national and international competitions.
For Coach Makalele of Leopard Boxing Academy in Alimosho, the poor outing at the Commonwealth Games is uncharacteristic of Nigeria’s boxing pedigree.
“Nigeria is not known to perform this poorly in amateur boxing, whether at the All African Games, the Commonwealth Games, or the Olympic Games. The outcome of this ongoing Commonwealth Games is too appalling. We have very good boxers in Nigeria who could have performed better than those selected by the Nigeria Boxing Federation,” he said.
The protesting coaches called on the Nigeria Boxing Federation to review its athlete selection procedures to ensure transparency, fairness, and merit-based representation in future international competitions, warning that failure to do so could continue to undermine Nigeria’s reputation as one of Africa’s leading boxing nations.
They also urged the National Sports Commission to thoroughly investigate the allegations raised during the protest and restore confidence in the administration of amateur boxing in Nigeria.
Packaged by Olanrewaju Agiri
