Show Of Shame In Asaba: ‘Compromised’ Boxing Judges Rob Lagos Young Boxers Of Gold Medals

Lagos boxer celebrating winning her bout

Despite putting a lot into the organisation of the 21st National Sports Festival tagged Delta 2022 by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for things to work out well for the participants and officials from different states of the federation, it is sad to note that some officials in some of the federations worked to bring the festival, not the name of the hosting state, into disrepute with their conducts.

What happened at the venue of the boxing event on Thursday, 8 December 2022, showed to the world that Nigerian sports still have a long way to go to meet up with its counterparts across the world.

A boxing event, which features young promising boys and girls, was turned to an arena of weeping and sorrow for the children courtesy of alleged ‘compromised’ decisions of some judges who were at the ringsides apportioning scores, not according to what they watched inside the ring, but according to what an observer described as insensitivity action.

The judges’ decisions in bouts 276 and 278 left much to be desire. In bout 276, the fight between Oyesiji Adeola from Lagos State and Adesina Zanaib in the F50kg was contested for by the officials of Team Lagos, not because of anything, but because the judges failed to live up to their jobs by not appraising the fight according to the rule of the game.

Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission Sola Aiyepeku (left) with other officials at the ringside on Thursday

The worse came in during bout 278 when Lagos state’ Kareem Sukura fought Adewale Pelumi from Edo State in the F54kg. Sukura fought to the delight of the spectators, giving Pelumi no breathing space only for the judges to pronounce a 4-1 victory decision for the Edo State pugilist.

This drew the wrath of Lagos State officials and many top dignitaries who watched the fight, as it was glaring throughout the three rounds bout that Sukura fought her way to win the fight.

Some of the dignitaries who included Sola Aiyepeku, Executive Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission, the Director General of the Commission, Oluwatoyin Gafaar, Senior Special Assistant on Sports to the Governor of Lagos State, Adeyinka Adeboye, Mr Bukola Olapade, CEO of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Dr Rafiu Ladipo, President of Nigeria Boxing Board of Control and others, watched the proceedings of bout 278 and gave kudos to the Lagos female boxer for doing a clean job throughout the three rounds of the fight.

DG Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr Gafaar celebrates with one of the boxers

But the judges compromised the system, thought otherwise that the Edo State boxer was the winner.

A visibility uncomfortable Olopade chided the boxing officials on ground that the pugilist sport in Nigeria has to change its orientation, adding that situation like this is capable of putting the sport into disrepute.

“As a renowned sports marketer in the country, the situation in boxing has made it very hard for us to secure sponsorship and unfortunately this has continued to happen with impunity taking too far today (Thursday). We all watched this fight and when we were about celebrating the Lagos boxer, the judges’ decision turned things around. This has to stop now,” Olopade, former Commissioner for Sports in Ogun State said.

Pleads by Dr Ladipo and dignitaries on ground for the boxing officials to see reason and reverse the decision was not listened to.

Surprisingly, President of Nigerian Boxing Referees, Mr Joseph Osewa, who told reporters that he has put in 60 years of service to the pugilist game in the country attested to the fact that the Lagos boxer carried the day with her fight. He pleaded that the needful would be done.

But when the needful was however done, it was heavy and unfortunate sanctions that was given to the Lagos boxer, Kareem Sukura, her coach and Team Lagos.

Many people were taken aback, surprised and disappointed that how is the game of boxing is being run in Nigeria and of whose interest is the game being run?

Aiyepeku said: “Team Lagos have taken official stand on this and lodged our protest. Everybody saw it that our two boxers won their fights. Even the head of the referees said they won their fights. Surprisingly, they said they suspended the boxers, our coach. I think our people have the right to express their emotional shocks to what happened here today. This is uncalled for. This is one of the things that used to frustrate young athletes when officials make outrageous decisions. How do they want these young girls to feel seeing this kind of thing happening in their sport? Equity must be established, and justice must be done for our sports to grow. We should all be doing things that will encourage the development of sports in Nigeria. What happened in Edo is still fresh in our minds.”

To the SSA on Sports to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Adeboye, it was a daylight robbery by the judges who used their position to shatter the minds of these young boxers. “It’s worrisome and unfortunate,” he said. “We are used to this. All our boxers did excellently well only for the ringside judges to compromised in their decision. We are officially robbed. You can see the reason most of the Nigerian referees and judges are not given duties in international engagements. It is very bad, the country cannot progress with this at all,” Adeboye said.