Bash Ali Tasks Sports Minister To Hit The Ground Running On World Boxing Title Fight In Nigeria

Now that an agreement has been reached to amicably settle out of court on the Bash Ali N28m Court judgement against the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, the world boxing champion, Bashiru Lawrence Ali (OON) has once again asked the Sports Minister, Sunday Dare to move with deliberate speed to plan the hosting of his historic fight in Nigeria, the Guinness World Record (GWR) Boxing Championship.

The World Boxing Federation (WBF) cruiserweight champion said in a letter he wrote to the Minister dated Monday, 17 February, 2020, a copy made available to P.M. EXPRESS, lamented the plights of Nigerians who rise up to the occasion to make the country proud. He rhetorically asked the following questions in the letter.

“Why do we toy with matters of national importance and celebrate matters that should be relegated to the back burner? Why do we keep retarding the growth of a country like Nigeria that has the potential to be the greatest nation on earth by allowing corruption and bad administration to guide us?”

According to the boxer, “there is no sport activity in Nigeria today that will earn a kobo for the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), that would earn an unprecedented level of positive publicity for Nigeria and above all bring honour and glory but this historic fight. All Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fights have been held in the United States of America with the exception of one which was held in Australia.

“Now, it is coming to Africa and Nigeria to be exact and despite the May 21, 2019 inauguration by the Federal Government of Nigeria through your Ministry, and despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s personally directing you to meet with me, and despite meeting with you on November 4, 2019, and despite several weeks of amicably agreeing to settle our case out of court nothing positive has happened.

“My brother, now that an agreement has been reached to amicably settle our matter out of court, can we as discussed on November 4, 2019 move ahead with deliberate speed to start the planning of how to successfully host in Nigeria the first Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight in Africa, please? Sir, apart from President Muhammadu Buhari, you are the only other person that can help me make this historic event a reality in our great country, Nigeria, so help me, please. I and other members of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) are ready to move from words into action.

Again, just like in his previous letters to the Minister, Bash Ali asked Sunday what he believes need to be done to kick start the GWR fight project.

“That as discussed on November 4, 2019, you move with deliberate speed to give me and members of the above LOC a date to meet with you to discuss how to successfully host in Nigeria the first Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight on the soil of Africa.

“That you move with deliberate speed to restore my security and relocate me to the Official Hotel for this historic Fight.

“That you move with deliberate speed to arrange for me and members of the LOC a courtesy visit to President Buhari to show our appreciation by officially presenting to him the Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight souvenirs and a special boxing glove to knockout corruption and bad administration in Nigeria.

“I have written several letters to you without reply with the exception of the January 6, 2020 letter in which I asked for a visit to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for once again rewarding my tenacity by approving the first Guinness World Recording Boxing Championship to hold in Africa in Nigeria and for personally directing you to meet with me.

“Your reply is now academic. We eagerly await and pray that you reply this one with the same deliberate speed you used in replying the January 6, 2020 letter.”