Nigeria’s boxing ecosystem is bracing for a governance showdown, as key stakeholders raise alarm over an alleged covert campaign to pull the country out of World Boxing and realign with the International Boxing Association (IBA) — a move that could jeopardize Nigeria’s Olympic aspirations.
World Boxing remains the only international federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to oversee the sport at the Olympic Games.
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Any national body not under its umbrella is automatically disqualified from Olympic boxing and other IOC-sanctioned events — a risk stakeholders say Nigeria cannot afford.
According to concerned insiders, foreign operatives—reportedly promised a $2.3 million incentive by IBA—are attempting to infiltrate the newly inaugurated board of the Nigerian Boxing Federation (NBF) and lobby for a controversial switch to the Switzerland-based body.
Stakeholders describe the move as a “calculated ambush” that would mortgage Nigeria’s Olympic future for financial gain. They are urging the NBF leadership to remain alert and resist attempts to “commercialize” the nation’s boxing heritage.
The caution echoes the earlier counsel of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) President, Engr. Habu Gumel, who advised the new NBF board to put athletes’ careers at the core of its agenda and reinforce ties with World Boxing to safeguard Nigeria’s place at the Olympics.
A lineup of respected boxing veterans has also entered the ring on this debate — including Joe Mensah, Isaac Ikhoria, Alhaji Masha, Pa. Muili Ojo, Ajani Aremu, Bolaji Ezekiel, Omoruyi Roland, William Azano, Elder Joseph Osewa, Sabo Muhammed, Femi Baba Femi, and Joseph Sagotogun. They insist that maintaining allegiance to World Boxing is the only path that protects athletes and preserves Nigeria’s sporting integrity on the global stage.
They further called on the NOC and the National Sports Commission (NSC) to clamp down on foreign influences allegedly trying to exploit Nigeria’s sports sector for selfish interests.
In an Olympic cycle where qualification and representation are more competitive than ever, stakeholders warn that shifting allegiance now would be a self-inflicted knockout blow to Nigerian boxing.
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