The chief executive officer of Yucateco Boxing Promotions, Honourable Omonlei Imadu has disclosed that his biggest aspiration is to make Nigeria’s south-west zone the country’s new hub for the combat sport that’s also known as pugilism.
Sports247 reports that Omonlei provided this revelation while speaking against the backdrop of another successful organization of the vastly productive Yucateco Southwest Quarterly Boxing Championship at Alake Sports Center in Abeokuta.
The evening of fights, which was staged in collaboration with Ogun State Sports Council, attracted boxers from Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun, Lagos States, with a view towards unearthing new talents in various male and female categories.
In the male 74.9kg category, Ismail Lawal of Lagos defeated Esan Michael of Ekiti State, while Quyum Oyakojo of Ogun beat Oyo State’s Ajeige Ayuba in a 57.9kg bout and Lateef Qudus of Lagos dropped Osun’s Akanmu Toheeb in a 55.2kg tilt.
Also in the male class, Ogun Stae’s Tairu Rasaq defeated Isiak Ibrahim of Osun in a 63.2kg and 64.8kg brawl, while the female cadre saw Agboola Oyindamola of Lagos triumph against Oladeji Mariah of Oyo.
Further in the female category, Olalekan Aliyah of Ogun floored Adepoju Taofeekat in a bout that was stopped in the 3rd round by the referee, while Ekiti State’s Lawal Ganiyat excelled against Adebanjo Imole of Osun.
While describing the initiative as a platform for breeding young boxers for Nigeria, Imadu praised all the competitors and officials, then promised more collaborations with Ogun State and other South-West stakeholders in developing the sport.
Imadu, who also disclosed that the next edition will be staged in September and the final is scheduled for December, added, “As the Southwest representative in the Nigeria Boxing Federation, my projection is to make our region the hub of boxing.
“Through this quarterly championship, which is as a platform for breeding young boxers for Nigeria, we hope to breed fresh stars that will not only fly the colors of their respective states, but represent our country on the global stage.”
