Maiden Lagos Individual Boxing Club Championship: Boxing untapped goldmine in Nigeria, says promoter

Posted : 24 October 2024

Yakubu Imadu, a boxing promoter and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yucateco Boxing Promotion, has described boxing as an untapped goldmine in Nigeria.

Imadu stated that Nigeria has yet to reach its potential in boxing due to inadequate support and grassroots development.

The Yucateco boss, in an exclusive interview in Lagos, said that boxing can rival football in Nigeria with the right investment and support from stakeholders.

Imadu, on the sidelines of the maiden edition of the LSSC Individual Boxing Club Championship in Mushin, expressed his goal of making boxing a major sport in the country.

Recall that no fewer than 300 boxers are participating in the grassroots competition.

Imadu noted that with the right infrastructure and promotion for boxing in Nigeria, there is a strong possibility that the sport can challenge the dominance of football among the youth.

“I am very excited and proud to be a part of this revolution to promote boxing in Nigeria, which will place the country on the world map.

“The development of boxing is not just for one individual; we just have to keep building synergy.

“We are happy that Africa is making progress in boxing; we want to create our own initiative and also show that we can do better.

“We have to ensure that we develop this sport to bring it back to the limelight, as boxing was once popular in Nigeria,” he said.

Imadu stated that with the abundance of talent scattered across the country, the combat sport can rival football in the near future.

“Football alone shouldn’t dominate; we have come to challenge the singular visibility of football in Nigeria, and that’s why we have decided that boxing is the next big thing.

“We have a large following for boxing in Nigeria, many lovers of the sport, but we need a platform to challenge the status quo.

“It is the platform that boxing is missing, so we have decided to bring it back to the limelight.

“There are many youth who are passionate about boxing in Nigeria; this is a testament I can share based on my engagement in the sport,” he said.

The promoter said that with more active participation in boxing, Nigeria could dominate the podium in the sport at the next Olympics.

“Within eight years, we can dominate boxing if we are serious about its development; we have the potential to dominate Africa and the world.

“We want to grow because we see a fantastic future for the boxing ecosystem in Nigeria,” he said.

Regarding the Lagos State government initiative at the LSSC Individual Boxing Club Championship, Imadu noted that the competition would encourage more youth to develop an interest in boxing.

“I must praise the Director General (D-G) of the Lagos State Sports Commission for making this boxing competition happen; it’s been a long time.

“We hardly see events like this; perhaps the last time was eight years ago.

“We thank the Lagos State Governor for creating the enabling environment and giving us a listening ear to promote boxing.

“We are here with the task of developing boxing and making Nigeria and the African continent great, which is why our program is mainly focused on the grassroots,” he said.

Imadu emphasized the need for a proper structure for the development of boxing in Nigeria.

“We are committed to going back to the grassroots and developing this sport so that athletes can graduate from amateur to professional status and produce champions in boxing in Nigeria,” he added.

The competition, which began on October 21, will end on October 27.

Maiden Lagos Individual Boxing Club Championship: Boxing untapped goldmine in Nigeria, says promoter

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