Court orders old gloves out for younger managers

Unhappy with the deplorable conditions of Nigerian professional boxers on one hand, and the nose-diving of the noble art of self defence on the other, a group of concerned Nigerians, in an unrepentant move, sought redress and permission from the land's legal house to straighten out issues and give the game a new lease of life...and they got what they requested for, from the court.

In the words of the present Ist vice-president of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), Mr Raphael Emeka Ikediobi, he was approached by some professional boxers, who saw what he was doing for other sports, especially soccer, to come and extend his hands of fellowship to the then, dying pro-boxing in the country.

"I saw this as a chellenge but knew that I could not go it all alone.  So, I consulted with some other well-meaning Nigerians, including Chief Issiah Chinedu Ezeogu, who have boxing at heart.  They thought it all over and agreed that we team up to rescue boxing in the country, from the valley of death.

"We knew that there was a board on ground and that, it would be illegal for us to start anything without a court's decision. That was how and why we went to court armed with the mandate given to us by the boxers themselves.  And at the end of the day, the Igbosere High Court presided over by Justice Akinlade, sitting in Lagos, granted us the' status quo' to continue as the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control in March, 2005.

Ikediobi confirmed to us that, the old board was running the affairs of Nigerian boxers from a private home... this he said, "is not ideal for boxing in this milennium.  For thirteen years," he continued, "the old board had been in existence and nothing fundamental in terms of giving the game, which had brought fame and pride to the country and her citizens, its desired place of pride.

"Since the March 2005, High Court Order, we have been able to bring the boxers together.  Only last month, April, we were able to organize a boxing tournament tagged 'RETURN OF THE WARRIORS' and it was a beautiful success story of the return of the game that was once, second  only to soccer,"he remarked.

For the new board, it is just the beginning of the re-juvination of boxing and recognition of the practitioners in our country, for according to the Ist vice-president, another Six Bouts boxing bill tagged 'WARRIORS OF AFRICA RE-LOADED'  is in the pipeline for June, 2005.  "It will be a showcase of both national and international fights...it would render our first attempt a kids' gloves affair, I promise," he declared.   

 

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