Rodiat Ibrahim, one of the four female boxers billed to fight at GOtv Boxing Night 19, has declared that male boxers are not superior to their female counterparts.
Rodiat is billed to fight namesake Rodiat Yusuf in a bantamweight duel at the event holding on 21 July at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.
Speaking during her training session on Sunday, Rodiat said female boxers have not been given adequate encouragement by promoters. She thanked the promoters of GOtv Boxing Night, saying their decision to have two female bouts at GOtv Boxing Night 19 will encourage professional female boxers. “We are in no way inferior to our male counterparts. We are as good as they are. What we have experienced is that promoters are reluctant to have us at shows, based on the assumption that we are inferior. Other boxers and I spar with male boxers and we match them. We hope our participation at GOtv Boxing Night 19 will prove how good we are,” she said.
In the other female contest scheduled, Adedeji Abiodun and Cynthia Ogunsemilore will clash in the featherweight category.
GOtv Boxing Night 19 will feature seven other bouts, including the international welterweight challenge between reigning West African Boxing Union (WABU) Rilwan “Babyface” Babatunde of Nigeria and Eden Biki of Ghana.
The lightweight division will feature African Boxing Union (ABU) lightweight champion, Oto “Joeboy” Joseph, against Tope “Berinja” Agboola; and Hammed “Ese Hammed” Ganiyu versus current West African Boxing Union (WABU) lightweight champion, Rilwan “Real One” Oladosu.
In the featherweight division, former ABU champion, Waidi “Skoro” Usman, will fight Taiwo “Esepo” Agbaje, while Kazeem “The Light” Oliwo will take on Tope “TP Rock” Musa in national challenge bouts.
Other bouts include “Sugar Boy” Olayiwola vs Waheed “Showmax” Shogbamu; and Adeyemi “Spirit” Adekanla vs Isaac “I Star” Chukwudi.
The best boxer at the event will go home with a cash prize of N1 million alongside the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy.
GOtv Boxing Night 19 will be beamed live on Africa’s biggest sport channel, SuperSport, in 47 African countries.
–newtelegraphng.com
