I want to be Africa champion. Nigeriasports: You started badly, Can you tell me what happen in round one? Answer: This is just my style because l have to move closer to my opponent and block his punches and not give back the way he is fighting. I want to tell you that when you give them(Opponents) aggressive marking in round one and two, they start to ware off and this is when l start punching my opponent profusely. Nigeriasports: Have you ever met Idris Oladipupo(Nigeria) before in any bout? Answer: No, This is my first time of meeting him in a championship of this magnitude. The opportunity would have come at the Edo 2002 National Sports Festival but he(Oladipupo) lost in the quarter finals. Nigerisports: How would you rate his performances since you meeting Oladipupo for the first time?. Answer: Well, he is good boxer but he has a lot of work to do because an amateur who ware out after the first round is like a street boy who has no strength in him and he wants to fight. My advise is that he has to do a lot of training and personal sacrifices if he wants to make it in life.
Nigeriasports: How do you feel winning the light category? Answer: I am very happy and l thank God for giving me the victory. I’’ve been in Europe for two and half years and out the nine champiopnship l’’ve participated in, l have never lost a fight. However, it was at the sports festival in Edo 2002 that l lost a fight and since then l have promised myself that l will get a revenge and this is why l came to Nigeria for this fight. I thank God that l won. Nigeriasports: When did you start your boxing career? Answer: I started my career five years ago and since then I’’ve won ten championship in Holland. These are the list of the championship l participated in Holland and l have not been beaten( the finalist C-class district -South, champion C-class District-North, Champion C-class district North-Holland while in 2002 Ducth champion C-Class and in 2003 Champion B-class district-South, Champion B-Class district North, Champion B-Class district North-Holland Champion B-Class district East and Champion A-Class District South -Holland). Nigeriasports: When was your happiest moment in life? Answer: (laughing)My happiest moment in life was when l won my first bout in 2001 and my dream is to become an Africa Champion. Nigeriasports: Which is your saddest moment? Answer: My saddest moment in life was at the Edo 2002 Sports festival that l lost at the final in the lightweight category and as the saying goes the down fall of man is not the end of his life. All l did was put everything behind me and look ahead into the future. Nigeriasports: How would differentiate amateur boxing in Nigeria and Holland? Answer: You see in Nigeria amateur boxers are not paid well and there is no insurance cover for the boxers, it’’s really appalling. I have notice that when two boxers are fighting and one party is injured, the officials will not stop the fight and l termed this as "unnecessary punishment because as soon as an opponent sustains injury in any bout in Holland, the officials will stop the fight and attend to the injured boxer. Another problem associated with the(Nigeria)boxers is that they lack exposures. Nigeriasports: Do you see you Nigeria Boxing getting a future? Answer: Yes, if the Nigeria Amateur Boxing Association(NABA) can organize championship like this in every two months or quarterly, Nigeria will produce the best boxers in Africa and the World at Large. Nigeria has the greatest boxers in the World, although they lack exposures and they don’t have sponsors. In any competition for an athlete to succeed, he must a sponsor this is the only he can improve on his skills because a boxer must travel for national and international competitions. Nigeriasports: What is your Advise for up coming Boxers? Answer: They must always train if the coach is there or not because constant training will help you improve in your skills and they should keep away from smoking ,drugs and alcohol, these are the things that endangers the life of an athlete whether a boxer or not a boxer. Interview: Oyinye Anyanwu 2
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