YOUNG NIGERIAN BOXING TALENT SHINES AT WBC CARES EVENT

By DR LARRY IZAMOJE
An event to remember at the Ebenezer Primary School,  Egbeda, Lagos,Nigeria a place where 40 young boxers aged  5 – 16 were selected by their trainers to showcase their developing blossoming talent.

Egbeda: The suburb of Lagos has a collection of pugilism loving people and trainers who have clubs but who are very ill-equipped. They train on bare surfaces and share mouth guards, gloves, tapes, and other equipment. They do not train with head guards and lack first aid boxes and other boxing equipment. They share the few resources they have to rent a ring whenever they have inter-club championships.  They are kids who just love the sport and who look for support to realize their dreams of rising to stardom.

Anthony Joshua, who’s roots are in Sagamu, a town just under 50 kilometres from them is a hero to emulate.  This special event to bring them a ring for use and an array of  gift items including
But not limited to gloves ,trainers pads, mouth guards,head gear, ,first aid boxes, apparels ,food and drinks with music blaring from the large speakers and a  DJ on hand.  Ten exhibition bouts of 2-minutes each with a round only 60 seconds long was held as they refused to use head gear saying it was not their standard practice.  Indeed, as many did not have gloves, we provided gloves for the exhibition bouts. WBC branded items (medals, caps and pins as well as WBC Cares T-shirts) were given out.  T-shirts also went to some spectators.   Sultan, an 8-year-old was adjudged the Most promising boxer of the day not only by the judges but by fellow competitors who nodded approval and applauded him.

The project was eagerly embraced by the host community, with a turnout of more than  500 spectators, some the parents of the boxers.  Ex-African and Commonwealth light heavyweight boxing champion ,Joe Lasisi was also present to advise the young boxers on how to be better as well as box drug-free.

Everyone was thankfull to the WBC ,WBC Cares and the team. I fully funded the whole event and had supportive personnel from my company ,Brila Sports Media as well as our Public Relations sister company, Image Boosters . They  were very pivotal in putting the programme together and ensuring appropriate audio-visual coverage and publicity . The team included:

Debbie Larry-Izamoje (Image Boosters)
Jide Ojo (Brila Media)
Babafemi Raji (Brila Media)
Kingsley Idehen (Brila Media)
Akinwunmi Oshun (Brila Media)
Sharafa Akani Bello (Brila Sports TV)
Jeff Odii (Brila Sports TV)
Segun Oyenubi (Brila Sports TV)
Funsho Fakoya (Chief Security)
Mohammed Murtala (Transport)
Giwa Bashiru (Transport)

The young boxers that exhibited skills are:
Wasiu Fawas    Wasiu Sheriff    Aduola Ojokoro    Sultan Adekoya
Ayomide Atanda    Riyahd Tayo    Ganiu Ayodeji    Giwa Idowu
Quadri Akinsola    Victor Godspower    Toiru Rafiu    Sodiq Lawal
Ibrahim Adedumo    Ogunmodede Hawau    Wasiu Ganiyat    Adebiyi Okiki
Abass Oseni    Isa Musa    Adekola Olamide    Aliu Babarinde
Christian Dike Nwosu    Habeeb Olugbade    Muyiz Ajibola    Sylvanus Patrick
Makinde Israel    Ayodeji Korede    Wasiu Toheed    Olaniyi Ezekiel
Shaibu Quadri    Alimi Nathaniel    Samson Ige    Jamiu Qudus
Daniel Ada    Ogunmodede Abdulhakeem    Obiye Ada    Akande Damilola
Adekunle Solomon    Sikiru Rafiu    Adenaya Juwon    Adunola Ojokoro

Logistics deployed for the event:

Renting of boxing ring, sound system, chairs for the children and their parents’ ,tables and canopies for displaying gifts, Food and drinks, honorarium for
coaches and referees, honorarium for ex-boxing champ Joe Lasisi,Boxing gloves,mouth guards, Head guards,  hand pads, tapes, First Aid boxes,Roll-up
banners,Flex banner and WBC branded head warmers ,Lapel pins ,WBC Medals WBC belt for the overall winner.

POST EVENT : Joe Lasisi will visit them again to see how they are doing and I will send training gear  to the top 5  out of the 10 winners selected last
Saturday. That way, our care will not be a one-off. We hope to do this in December and review things next year.

Not  a dime was charged to anyone for the event. It was held in an open school field with open gates and where some other people were playing soccer. We solely set out to show love to a boxing community and people so that someday little champs will become great champs!.

I am particularly grateful to WBC particularly President Mauricio Sulaiman ,his team and WBC Cares Chair, Jill Diamond for the souvenirs received and for the encouragement to give back to society, the WBC cares way.