Nigeria boxers have heaped blames on the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) officials for missing last month’s Olympics Qualifiers in Senegal.
The boxers expressed shock that the NBF officials claimed they did not call for the camping exercise of the Olympics Qualifiers.
A boxer who spoke to www.aclsports.com on the condition of anonymity said the nonchalant attitude of the official cost Nigeria her place at this year’s Olympic Games.
He said some boxing officials decided to attend an African Championship in Cameroon which is not significant at the detriment of last month’s African Olympics Qualifiers in Senegal.
“I am disappointed in the officials because they are the ones who made us miss the Olympics qualifiers in Senegal. How can the officials say they advised the ministry of sports to attend a qualifier in US when we have brighter chances of qualifying from the African?
“My colleagues are still in Limbo because some of the boxers who qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are not better than us. We met some of them at the 2019 African Games in Morocco and we know their strength and weaknesses. The officials who recommended the qualifiers outside our continents should be sanctioned.
Another boxer lamented the state of boxing in Nigeria calling for the timely intervention of the President of Nigeria Boxing Federation, Kenneth Minimah and the minister of sports, Sunday Dare.
“During the camp exercise, we took care of ourselves hoping the board of the Nigeria Boxing Federation and the ministry of sports will cater for us but we discovered that the federation through the Secretary General told the ministry that we are not medal hopeful and there was no need going to the qualifiers.
“We were told to come to Lagos for the national camp without any arrangement for us by sports ministry and Nigeria Boxing Federation. I must confess I am not proud to be a Nigerian.
“It is a big shame that boxing will not be going to the Olympics during the second tenure of Kenneth Minimah after 32 years at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games. Nigeria’s first ever Olympic medal came when Nojim Maiyegun won the bronze medal at the 1964 Tokyo Games”.
Nigeria won one gold, one silver and five bronze medals at the 2019 African Games in Morocco.
