26th NUGA Games: Seconds Out! And Boxing Makes A Glorious Entry Into Games

IKPO IGBINOBA

Henceforth, except the unusual happens, boxing will be part of the NUGA Games.

Thanks to a successful presentation of the sport by the Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah (rtd) led board of the Nigeria Boxing Federation, NBF at the 26th NUGA Games at the University of Lagos.

After several attempts to have boxing as part of the NUGA Games, the NBF finally had a breakthrough late last year.

And on March 21st and 22nd, boxing was featured as a demonstration event during the Games.

At the end of the exercise, even those who had initial misgivings over safety issues joined the chorus of “Boxing has come to stay in NUGA.”

Coordinator of the NUGA Games Boxing Project, Babatunde Laguda who was on his toes for the two days had every reason to be in celebration mood.

He declared after the last fight “Boxing has come stay in NUGA.”

Indeed, with the overall presentation from officiating to the standard of boxing, a new chapter has been opened for the sport. 

And the success of the boxing experiment will be captured in history as one lofty achievement of the Minimah Presidency.

Though boxing was making its debut in the University Games, it turned out to be one huge crowd puller with the Jelili Omotola Multipurpose Hall packed full with spectators.

The boxers, both lads and lasses and their coaches did not disappoint.

The teeming crowd had a lot to cheer about with the performances of the boxers.

Though there were losers and winners, all those who featured were part of history. 

For the records the first bout featured “home-boy”Junaid Kazeem of UNILAG against Raimi Farouk of University of Ilorin in the 63.5 kg. 

Farouk prevailed with a technical knockout to raise the curtain of other explosive and entertaining bouts over the two days period. 

Barcelona ’92 Olympics boxer, Moses Malagu who was one of the coaches of the UNILAG team said boxing would subsequently be the star event in the NUGA Games.

“With this kind of beginning, boxing will be the star attraction in the next NUGA Games”, Malagu said.

He added “And I can confidently say that the universities will produce world beaters in the nearest future.”

With boxing now accepted as one of the sporting disciplines in the NUGA Games, Nigeria now has the opportunity to be part of FISU World University Boxing Championship which was introduced in 2004. 

The fiesta takes place once every two years.