Boxing coaches slam federation president over inactivity

The Nigeria Amateur Boxing Association (NABA) board headed by Rotimi George-Taylor is coming under scathing attacks for its inability to organise any worthwhile competition since coming on board about six months ago.

One of the grouses from critics is that the federation has reneged on its promise to stage the National Boxing Open Championship, which it had fixed for last month.

The association’s secretary, Patrick Uwagbale, told NEXTSports that the board is constrained by lack of funds, stalling most of the federation’s plans:

“We are not happy things are not working out the way planned, we are having difficulty getting sponsors,” he said.

Incompetent board

Coach Sunday Nwamuda, founder of Sunny Clay Boxing Club, which has in its stable Muftau Kakawa, National Light Heavyweight Champion and Yinka Adeoti, national champion in the Women’s Welterweight category, says the excuse about lack of funds and sponsors does not hold water. He believes people at the helm of affairs are incompetent: “Since the beginning of the year we have not had any competition. After all the promises they made before getting elected into the board, they have failed to deliver. All these people want is position, and once they get there, they forget all the promises they made.”

He added that the next Commonwealth Games may be the worst in the annals of Nigeria’s participation in the games given the way things are now.

“Quote me; these people don’t know what they are doing. With about 10 months to (the) Commonwealth Games and we have not had a national boxing championship in two years.”

Coaches to the rescue

In the lull created by the association’s inability to organise competitions to keep boxers in shape, Sheriff Yusuf, an amateur boxing coach, has been mobilising other coaches to pool resources to organise tournaments for boxers:

“What is left to do? The association is not doing anything; the boxers are just training all-year round with no competitions to participate in. Now they are drifting away and are no longer coming to training. So to encourage them, we have taken this initiative,” Yusuf said.

Conflict of interest

A source in the board who does not want to be named attributed the inactivity of the boxing association to the leadership: “George-Taylor has so much on his hand and he is giving most of his energy to the Under-17 World Cup to the detriment of boxing.”

Nwamuda adds that George-Taylor is paying more attention to football because: “Football is where the money is; he is in boxing for the title of ‘President’ he can’t make money from it.”

George-Taylor is the Chairman LOC Ijebu-Ode sub seat of the tournament being hosted by Nigeria.

In an attempt to get his side of the story, a call was put through but he cut short the telephone conversation saying: “I’m right now in a meeting with FIFA, we will talk later.”

Resigned to fate

Boxers have resigned to their fate. One of them, Fijabi Olaide, who since 2007 when he won the National Light Welterweight title only got to fight at the National Sports Festival in Bauchi in February this year says:

“Will I go and invent a competition for myself? Please help us beg them to give us fight.”

Another boxer, Olagbade Sulaimon, who was one of Nigeria’s representatives in the light middleweight category at 2007 All Africa Games in Algiers, says he has decided to turn professional as a result of inactivity on the amateur scene.

“Whoever waits on these people will just die trying,” he says.

NEXTSports checks revealed that the association has organised only one competition this year.

The new NABF board led by Rotimi George-Taylor had at its inaugural meeting on June 29, listed as its programmes for the year: the Best of Eight Invitational Boxing Tourney, which held in Abeokuta between July 24 and 25; National Open Championship, which was supposed to hold last October; the Under-18 Boxing Championship, and revival of Champion of Champions tournament which last held in 1994, for December.

With the claim of lack of fund from Uwagbale, there are doubts hanging on the rest of the Championship holding.