The exhibition presents portraits of women involved in combat sports in Nigeria.

“When boxers come into the gym, they reach a sanctuary. There, female boxers encounter a place of empowerment , where they can build their mind, body and soul.

Witnessing the strength of Lagos boxers allows one to get a glimpse of the countless possibilities opened to women.”

FAME Foundation’s Executive Director, Mrs Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello will speak on Women Empowerment through Sports and showcase a mini documentary on PLAY it DREAM it Initiative, a FAME’s sports for development project running since 2019.

Place: Institut français du Nigéria | 52, Libreville Crescent, Wuse 2

Friday, 5 August, 6 PM

The legal team of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, has perfected a N5 billion libel suit against former boxer, Bash Ali, after he maliciously accused the minister of wrongdoing.

The Minister, through his lawyers, Festus Keyamo Chambers, will seek injunctive and pecuniary damages against Bash Ali and will not hesitate to join any person, medium or organization that publishes any of the defamatory contents authored by Bash Ali, his agents or proxies as a co-defendant to the suit.
Bash Ali had launched a campaign of calumny against the Minister after the Ministry declined to sign on to a supposed Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Bout he was promoting. The Ministry had advised the former boxer to approach the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC) for support as that was the body with the requisite jurisdiction to support his ambition. This is particularly as the Ministry only deals with amateur boxers and not professional boxers like him, who has never had an amateur fight. Additionally, the bout being proposed by Bash was a purely business affair which Bash could conveniently champion as a private venture without the support of the Ministry.

The libel suit against Bash Ali would have been filed this week, within days of the ex-boxer releasing a ten-page letter that cast aspersion on the person and character of Mr. Dare, but the ongoing strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, which has shut the courts.

Mr. Dare’s legal team is however set to serve a Pre-Action letter to Bash Ali informing him of Mr. Dare’s intention to sue him for libel and demanding that Bash withdraws the falsehood he is peddling against the Minister and the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. The said Pre-Action letter further requests Bash to stop the spreading of false, defamatory and blackmail materials against Mr. Dare through media channels or any other means and tender an apology to Mr. Dare for the reputational damage occasioned by the invidious publication.

Kogi State has qualified for the Quarter final match in the Welter Weight 69KG, and Light Welter 64kg boxing event in the ongoing National Sports Festival, tagged Edo 2020.

The duo of Osita Umeh and Rasheed Wasiu beat their opponent’s from Edo and Imo State respectively.

While Osita Umeh knock Abiodun Yakubu of Edo State in the Welther Weight 69KG championship, Rasheed Wasiu of Kogi State also defeated Oriaku Moses of Imo State at round two through technical knockout in the
Light Welther 64kg event.

Speaking shortly after their fight, the Kogi State boxers told journalist that they are all out to win medals for the state.

According to them, despite some pocket of challenges they face during the competition, they are optimistic that their quest to win gold for the state would not be hindered.

” We are very happy qualifying for the next round of this boxing competition. We are aware that our next opponent are very tough, but that would not shake us as boxing is a game of the mind and determination.

“As Kogi boxers, we are assuring our teaming supporters both home and away that we are going to make them proud with the maximum support we are getting from his excellency, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the sky will be our starting point” they added.

Reacting to his athletes victory, the head Coach of Kogi State Boxing team Gozie Dijeh popularly called (IGOR) told newsmen that the state is fully out to register their name in boxing medals table.

He added that his athletes are fully prepared to face any opponent that would come their way in the next round of the competition.

“Kogi State is fully prepared for the 2020 National Sports Festival. Am very confident with the zeal of my athletes, we are going to win medals in boxing” he added.

Meanwhile, Solomon Jegede from Kogi State lost to his Ogun counterpart Muritalador Mayushau in the Heavyweight 91KG championship.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sunday Bardo of Kogi State suffered a narrow defeat to Hassan of Edo State by a point in the Light wieght 60KG boxing match.

End

Ahead of the Mega Boxing Bout coming up in Ilorin on the 1st of January,2021, the Chairman, Kwara State Amateur Boxing Association, Barrister Ahmed Musa Rufai has expressed optimism that the state will produce next World boxing Stars.

Speaking with Sportspro News correspondent ahead of the bout which will hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of Kwara State Stadium Complex, he said the association has adopted the policy thrust of the Government in repositioning sports in the State.

“We have a sport loving Governor in person Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq and he has motivated all the sporting association Chairmen under the sports council to do one programme or the other event”. He said.

Rufai noted that the Association is leveraging on the  opportunity availed the sporting community to stage a new year sporting event tagged the ‘Mega Boxing Bout 2021, Another “A for AA 2021”.

“It is a Boxing bout that consist of Kwara State, Oyo and Osun State and it promises to be a mega bites”. The helmsman revealed.

Noting that boxing event will help keep the boxers on their feet and  strong ahead of the Edo National Sports festival, he added that the participation of other State is a way of motivating them.

Barrister Ahmed, who emphasised that they have been exploring many ways to get the boxers in the state connected said their aim is to get many Anthony Joshua out of Kwara Boxers.

“It will gladden your heart that we normally send every of our fight to the podium of Anthony Joshua and if people like that can say  there are athletes here that can perform ,so our aim is to get many Anthony Joshua out of Kwara Boxers. “

The Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq is expected to lead other dignitaries to the boxing event which will commence at 1pm.

In an Exclusive chat with Owosports.com.ng, Comrade Lawal stated that in bid to support the growth of talented youth and boxers in the state, the government is looking to get a boxing Arena for the use of grassroots boxers.

“In line with the vision of the governor to always support every successful young persons in all ramifications and areas of their chosen fields, like Anthony Joshua, we are making arrangements to make sure we have a space in Sagamu Stadium to see if we can turn it to a boxing tune and work in collaboration with Philanthropists to equip the place.

“We are are doing everything possible to make sure we develop the grassroots sporting events to discover more talent, it is when we take the activities to nooks and crannies of the state, there are lots of areas you just wonder that in this ghetto there is this talent here and you know it is also a door to prosperity for many young people that never thought they will ever make it in their lives, we are doing so and we must give kudos to the Governor who has made it possible.

Nigerian Born British Boxer Anthony Joshua defended his heavyweight titles against Bulgarian mandatory Challenger Kubrat Pulev early hours Sunday morning at the SSE Arena in Wembley, knocking him out in the 9th rounds and the State government organized viewing fiesta across the three senatorial districts of the State