The Poor State of Boxing in Nigeria

Photo: www.mynewswatchtimesng.com

The Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics is less than a year from today, and as each day comes, the memory of Nigeria's first medal at the Olympics seems to be in a poor state.

Nigeria won her very first Olympic medal in Tokyo 1964, when Nojim Maiyegun won Bronze. This performance gave room for medals in the game of boxing, and in Munich 1972, Isaac Ikhouria won another Bronze. To confirm that we were not jinxed with Bronze, Peter Konyegwachi won Silver in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

In the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, Duncan Dokiwari won Silver and that was the last time we did something serious with the game of Boxing at the Olympics.

Boxing is our pride, it is easier to say Nigeria is a Boxing nation than a football nation, because it gave us our very first, second and third medal at the Olympics. Being an individual Sports, we should be able to identify and develop Boxers, but the reverse is the case.

As we count in months to Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics, the poor state of Boxing in the nation is really being a thing of concern considering the fact that it's not team Sport where you need more athletes to do the job, only one identified and developed person is what is needed.                          

Unfortunately it does not look as if we have plans for the forth coming Olympics as far as Boxing is concerned. And if nothing serious is done, Boxing will only become history in Nigeria.