The coast is now cleared for the much awaited Bash Ali Guinness World Record Boxing Championship to come to reality with the inauguration of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Abuja, Nigeria on Tuesday.
The inauguration was performed by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung who took the first shot in raising funds for the fight with a donation of the sum of N500, 000.
This donation, according to the Minister, was to send a strong signal that both the Federal Government and the LOC are serious in the bid to ensure that nothing derail the organisation of the fight which had suffered several postponements in the past.
The action of Dalung, who is the Chairman of the LOC, spurred other members of the LOC to action with more donations pouring in at the inauguration ceremony held inside the Ministry of Sports Conference Room in Abuja.
Renowned human right lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) gave the sum of N500,000, while Chief Kenny Martins also gave N500,000. Both are members of the LOC.
Other donations came in from two Igbo traditional rulers present at the event who donated N200,000 and N100,000, Apostle (Dr.) Emmanuel Bako N100,000 and the sum of N50,000 from a group of supporters of Bash Ali.
Meanwhile, the Sports Minister poured encomiums on Bash Ali for his doggedness and determination to ensure that the dream of staging the fight and become the oldest man to step on the boxing ring cones to reality despite daunting challenges.
Dalung recalled that what Bash Ali is aiming at was last did by American Bernard Hopkins who won a world title at 49 years. The Nigerian champion turned 63 last February.
“For Bash Ali to have shun offers from abroad to fight outside the shores of the country shows the high spirit of patriotism in him. With the inauguration of the LOC, we have now arrived at the crucial junction to make the dream of Bash Ali comes to reality.
Dalung assured that the Federal Government will provide all enabling environment for the organisation of the much talk about fight in the country. He called on the private sector and Nigerians to support the fight because the country has a lot to benefit from it.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the inauguration ceremony which started more than four hours behind scheduled was well attended by stakeholders in the Bash Ali Guinness World Record Boxing Fight Championship, Bash Ali Fans Club of Nigeria (BAFCON) led by its president, Ayorinde Dickson Oshin and other well wishers.