Bode Ademisoro, the Secretary of Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), on Friday said plans were underway to organize an invitational boxing championship between Nigeria and Ghana in Lagos in March.
Ademisoro told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the championship would be part of preparations for the 2018 Commonwealth Games to hold in Gold Coast, Australia in April.
NAN reports that 32 boxers were selected from among more than 120 boxers in four weight categories following a National Boxing Open Trials held in Lagos on Dec. 17.
Ademisoro told NAN the trials were successful as it produced 32 boxers in the male 56kg, 60kg, 69kg and 81kg categories, and the female 51kg, 60kg, 69kg and 75kg weight categories.
“The idea is to further sharpen the skills of our boxers who have been in camp since December.
“The federation is doing all it can to ensure the boxers are fight ready, having received enormous support from the Ministry of Youths and Sports ever since the camp opened.
“The invitational championship would be used as a platform to expose the boxers who have been training, to have an exposure to the tempo of things to come,’’ Ademisoro said.
The NBF Secretary said the boxers in camp have been reduced to 16, with two boxers left in each of the four male and four female weight categories.
He said this was after careful observation and hard training overseen by the Tony Konyegwachie-led coaching crew.
“We want the best boxers to be presented at the end and this is why there was an early camp which has brought a lot out of the boxers going by the level of training.
“We are confident the invitational tournament will give our boxers a taste of what international championship bouts is all about, most especially when they have to fight an unknown opponent,’’ Ademisoro said.
–NAN
