Commonwealth Games: Nigerian Boxers Camp In Red- Light Zone

The boxers (male and females)have been in camp for over six weeks in the Brai Ayonote Boxing Complex at the National Stadium, Surulere.

Investigations by PM Express reveal that the camp is a huge nightmare to the boxers who are contending with the distraction caused by Old Skool, a noisy drinking place situated within the same grounds.

The Brai Ayonote Boxing Complex where the boxers are camped was in the beginning meant strictly for boxing activities.

A project conceptualised by late Group Captain Brai Ayonote in 1990, the complex was to host the secretariats of the Nigeria Amateur Boxing Association(NABA) and the AIBA(Zone 3), a gymnasium, a hostel for the boxers and coaches and offices for support staff.

Unfortunately, the project was halted when Ayonote, who was the President of the Nigeria Amateur Boxing Association(NABA) died in China in November 1992 while on national duty.

As at the time of his death, the project was almost completed with the gymnasium and the secretariat ready for use.

The hostel was almost 50 percent completed as at the time of Ayonote’s death.

However, the project was eventually completed by then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah who became the President of the NABA in 2013. The hostel was completed in early 2015 and named after the army chief.

The complex  assumed a different hue when Old Skool, a business concern owned by one Mr. Osondu Ogbu set up a drinking parlour within the complex.

Though, boxing’s stakeholders vehemently resisted the plan by Mr. Ogbu to have his drinking place in the complex, the business man prevailed,deploying his influence as a member of the boxing federation’s board.

In complete violation of the master plan of the complex, Mr Ogbu constructed another building to accommodate his drinking parlour.

Aside selling drinks and playing loud music, the spot is also is a place where women of easy virtue come to solicit for men.

In the daytime, Old Skool sells drinks, food and roasted goat meat.

But from 6 pm, the entire premises is overrun by women of easy virtue and adventurous fun-seeking men ready to pay for sex.

Added to the  mix, is the high decibel music from live music provided by different musicians who entertain the fun-seekers from 7pm to the wee hours of the mornings.

An angry former national boxing coachObisia Nwankpa said camping the boxers in the environment was a  national tragedy.

Obisia exploded while reacting to the development in a chat with PM Express “Whoever decided to have boxers who are preparing for a major assignment like the Commonwealth Games in that environment is an embarrassment  to the country”

“How can a boxer have enough rest after training in that environment with prostitutes all over the place and loud music blaring from the evening till early morning?

While exonerating the NABA board, Obisia took a swipe at the Sports Minister and his officials for approving the place as a camp. “We cannot blame the board because the members are volunteers who have no business in the day to day running of sports. “It is the minister and his ministry staff who are paid with taxpayers’ money to do the job that should be held responsible for this act”. Obisia remarked “For allowing a camp in that environment, they have demonstrated their incompetence in sports administration”,

He suggested the immediate removal of the boxers from that environment since “the ministry has decided to convert a boxing complex into a night club”.

A member of staff of the federation who did not want his name in print revealed that some of the boxers were complaining in hushed tones about the camp.

According to him “The truth is that the boxers don’t like the camp but they cannot complain openly. They know that if they complain, they would be decamped.

He revealed “Some of the boxers who are close to me have complained very bitterly but there is nothing we can do about it” he lamented.

The support staff blamed the media for not exposing the camp until the intervention of PM Express.

“Journalists have been coming around here to monitor the camp, but it is curious that none has raised the alarm about this camp existing side by side with a night club”.

A stakeholder Mr. Barnabas Tyokase called on government to probe how a night club was given permission to operate within the Brai Ayonote Boxing Complex.

“This matter is beyond the camping of boxers in the place. Government must find out who gave the approval for Old Skool to invade the environment”.

Mr. Tyokase charged the government to sack Old Skool from the complex which he maintained must remain a boxing environment.

He insisted “Old Skool’s presence in the complex is not only a death sentence for the development of amateur boxing in Nigeria, but also an insult to the memory of  Nigeria’s first boxing world champion Hogan Kid Bassey who was buried in the complex and late Group Captain Brai Ayonote who initiated the project”.

Nigeria was once upon a time the seventh best amateur boxing nation in the world but today can’t hold her own even on the continent.