Sabitu Oladejo, Assistant Coach of Niger State Boxing Council, says the provision of requisite facilities for the sport will likely produce boxers of the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
Oladejo this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja ahead of the upcoming showdown between Mayweather Jnr. and an Irish boxer, Conor McGregor.
NAN reports that Mayweather an undefeated 11-time five-division professional boxing world champion will take on Conor McGregor a mixed martial artist world champion on August 26.
The much-anticipated showdown in boxing circles will be staged at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, U.S.
The match-up is similar to an encounter between the late Muhammad Ali, who took on Antonio Inoki a professional Japanese wrestler in 1976; the fight was eventually declared a no contest.
The coach explained that super boxers like Mayweather could be groomed from the grassroots if the right platform were provided by the authorities.
He said: “To produce super boxers better than Mayweather and others, we need good facilities, equipment and good sponsorship.
“This will go a long way in not only taking care of the boxers but motivating them to bring out the best in them.
“Nigeria is blessed with talented and energetic men, but all that is required for them to thrive is the right type of exposure.’’
Oladejo, who restated the need for government’s sponsorship of boxing, said that the era of negligence was over.
He said: “Why can’t our boxers do better when they have the logistics, feeding and other needs?
“Mayweather and McGregor will be fighting on August 26 in Las Vegas in a match boxing experts have described as a big pay day.
“The fight is a historic one between Mayweather, a boxer with a 49-0, taking on McGregor who has never taken part in a professional boxing match.’’
