The general-secrerary of Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), Remi Aboderin has come out with an emphatica declaration that Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) did not come into existence until recently, Sports247 reports.
The declaration from Aboderin comes at the height of moves being made by some officials of the NBF to take over the running of all levels of boxing in Nigeria – amateur and professional.
However, Aboderin, who is also the current president of West African Boxing Union (WABU), stated during the latest edition of Sports247’s television programme, Inside Naija Sports, that those pressing the matter do not have a concrete case to back their agitations, insisting that history and authority is against them.
He stated further during ‘Hot Seat’ segment of the programme, which airs weekly on YouTube and NTA News24, that even the National Sports Commission (NSC) has stated categorically that the NBB of C is the body that runs professional boxing in Nigeria and disclosed that he is in possession of an official letter to that effect.
Aboderin affirmed, “NBB of C was not set up by the Nigerian Boxing Federation, NBF. NBB of C is an entity on its own. It’s an autonomous body, which has been in existence since 1947 and officially took off in 1949.
“The first professional boxing show in Nigeria, which took place in Lagos before independence, was sanctioned by the NBB of C. On the other hand, there was nothing like NBF until recently.
“NBF came into existence just some five, six, seven years ago. It used to be known as Nigeria Amateur Boxing Authority (NABA). At that point, there was nothing like NBF. That clearly shows that NBF did not create NBB of C, nor does it oversee our activities.”
The veteran boxing analyst, promoter and administrator went back in time with a historical background of how boxing was streamlined in Nigeria to follow the British pattern of differences between the body for amateurs and that for professionals, which he alleged that some ‘unscrupulous’ people in the NBF are now trying to distort.
“From the outset, the British set up the structure that we are following in Nigeria. We are fashioned according to the British kind of boxing system that has the amateur association different from the board of control for professionals.
“They are separate bodies, and they are not interwoven, intertwined, or whatever you might call it. The same applies here in Nigeria – NBB of C is an autonomous body, and it was not created by the NBF.
“That’s why it’s wrong for anyone in the NBF trying to control the NBB of C. It’s just a sad situation created by the kind of people we have in this country.
“I don’t want to sound like I’m disparaging anyone, but we have to say the truth based on facts. It’s a bunch of unscrupulous people who are intent on damaging the status quo,” Aboderin opined.
He concluded by pointing out that the NSC has already clarified the correct state of affairs and put things in the right perspective, but further alleged that some officials of the NBF have refused to fall in line with official directives handed out by the superior authority.
“It’s not something for us in the NBB of C to keep on being worried about, because I have a letter in my possession, signed by the DG (NSC’s director-general, Honourable Bukola Olopade), which states that the NSC does not recognise anything called NBF-Pro.
“The NSC only knows that the NBF, Nigeria Boxing Federation, is in charge of amateur boxing, while NBB of C is for professionals,” Aboderin submitted emphatically.
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