The Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C) has announced plans to bestow on GOtv, sponsors of GOtv Boxing Night, with its biggest boxing award for continued support towards the development of boxing in the country.
This was disclosed on Tuesday by Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, NBB of C President, at a press conference to announce GOtv Boxing Night 21, slated for 12 April at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.
Ladipo lauded GOtv for remaining steadfast in the effort to revamp boxing in Nigeria, explaining that the scale of the sponsors’ investment in the sport is unprecedented. He also commended the organisers, Flykite Productions.
“We want to thank GOtv and Flykite for their continued organisation of GOtv Boxing Night. It is not easy to host 21 editions of this event year after year. It is a big deal that GOtv has invested so much resources to help develop boxing.
“For this, GOtv will receive the biggest award of the NBB of C for their major support of boxing in Nigeria,” he said.
Ladipo also called on other corporate organisations to emulate GOtv by supporting boxing promotions in the country.
“If only we have two or more corporate organisations doing what GOtv is doing, Nigerian boxing will be in a much better state. I am, therefore, using this medium to ask other organisations to support the development of Nigerian boxing,” he said.
GOtv Boxing Night 21 will be headlined by the World Boxing Federation (WBF) International lightweight title bout between Nigeria’s Rilwan “Real One” Oladosu, the West African Boxing Union (WABU) lightweight champion and Ghana’s Emmanuel Quartey.
Also on the cards are the WBF Africa welterweight title between Rilwan “Baby Face” Babatunde of Nigeria, the WABU welterweight champion, and Mkwalekwa Salehe of Tanzania; and an international featherweight challenge bout between Taiwo “Esepo” Agbaje of Nigeria, the national featherweight champion, and Moses Dodzi of Ghana.
There is also a national title fight as Sadiq “Happy Boy” Adeleke will square off against Tunde Olojede for the vacant national bantamweight title clash. Daniel “Big Shark” Emeka will be up against Segun “Success” Olanrewaju for a national light heavyweight challenge bout, while Alaba “Elyblow” Omotola will face Lateef Akintola in a national lightweight challenge contest.
The best boxer at the event will go home with the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy.
GOtv Boxing Night 21 will be beamed live on Africa’s biggest sport channel, SuperSport, in 47 African countries.