Tokyo Olympics 2020: Osoba Sets Sight On Podium Outing

Ikpo IGBINOBA

Nigeria’s hottest welterweight boxer, Afeez Osoba of Lagos has vowed to stun the world at the Tokyo Olympics billed for the Asian city next year. 

Afeez,who emerged the best boxer of the Champion of Champions Night which took place at the Brai Ayonote Boxing Complex, at the National Stadium in Surulere on Wednesday told P.M. EXPRESS exclusively that he was ready for the Tokyo Olympics.

He declared after demolishing his opposition that “I am ready for the Tokyo Olympics, very ready to make an impact.

“My prayer however is that we should attend the Olympic qualifiers billed for France next year.’

The Lagos state boxer who scored a unanimous decision victory over his Delta State opponent Osita Umeh lamented the country’s inability to attend Olympic qualifying championship in Senegal earlier in the year.

According to him, “It was painful that we couldn’t attend the Olympic qualifier which took place in Senegal earlier in the year. 

“But I am hopeful that we can still make it if we attend the qualifier in France.”

Afeez who started boxing ten years ago has dominated the welterweight class.

He won gold at the National Sports Festival in Abuja in 2018 and a silver medal in the 2019 All Africa Games hosted by Morocco in Rabat.

As for the upcoming National Sports Festival to be hosted by Edo State between February 14 and 28, 2021, Afeez said it would be another opportunity for him to prove his mettle.

Meanwhile, the hammer on Wednesday fell on the longest serving member of the board of the Nigeria Boxing Federation, NBF, retired Brig General Joseph Ayeni who was until his impeachment the vice president.

Ayeni, who has spent over three decades on the board of the NBF, was impeached by 6-4 votes during the board meeting which was a preamble to the Champion of Champions Night.

A member who didn’t want to be named said Gen Ayeni had outlived his usefulness. 

“He has no business being on the board again. He has not added value to Nigerian boxing in the past ten years”, the board member told P.M. EXPRESS.

He was replaced by Mr. Lukman Lawal, the boxers’ representative on the board.