Bash Ali Fans Club Hails Buhari, Dalung Over Support For World Title Fight

Bash Ali Fans Club of Nigeria (BAFCON) has hailed the bold move by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari for giving approval for the staging of the Guinness Book of World Boxing Championship in Nigeria.

The Federal Government approved support for the world title fight which will involve Nigerian Bashiru Lawrence Ali (OON) and American Rick Camlin at a yet to be determined date in Nigeria. The approval includes provision of enabling environment for the staging of the fight, while also giving security guarantee for delegates from over 134 countries of the world that will come to the country to witness the historic event.

The bout is a unification championship as Bash Ali, holder of World Boxing Federation (WBF)  cruiserweight title will trade punches with the American International Boxing Union (IBU) champion, Camlin. Bash Ali, a former wrestler in the United States of America (USA), who hails from Edo State, is aiming to become the oldest boxer to win a world title at the end of the fight.

“BAFCON believes that the support our champion is receiving from the Federal Government is unprecedented and we want to appreciate our President, Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) on this. He is a man of his words. We pray for God to continue to strengthen him to take Nigeria out of the woods.  We want to tell the President that we are behind him to return this nation to the path of glory once again,” Mr Dickson Ayorinde Oshin, President of BAFCON told PM EXPRESS in an interview in Lagos.

Oshin also poured encomium on the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung for his unrelenting effort to see that President Buhari’s approval is carried out on the fight.

“We want to commend our hardworking Minister of Sports, Barrister Dalung, who has been working assiduously to see that the fight is staged. We understood that he had called a meeting to get to the root of the crisis of released of funds between Bash Ali and the Managing Directors of NEXIM Bank and the Bank of Industry (BOI). This meeting was a right call by the Honourable Minister and we believe that at the end of the meeting, there will be a positive development for us to move forward. Releasing of funds for the project should begin the next agenda, ” said the President of over 100,000 members of BAFCON spread across the geo-political zones of the country.

Oshin highlighted the immense benefits that will come to Nigeria if the Guinness Book of World Record Boxing Championship is staged in Nigeria.

He said: “The Bash Ali’s Project will launder the good image of our great country to the outside world. You can imagine how well people from over 134 country will report Nigeria back home when they come for the fight. Millions of dollars will be generated through pay-per-view telecast of the fight. The fight will also generate employment for our youth and a lot more of benefits to boost our economy. There is no money spent on this Guinness Book of World Record Boxing Championship that will not be realised back. That is the reason we are calling on governments, corporate Nigeria and individuals to support Bash Ali’s Project as we are ready to shock the world. ”