The Boxing Promoters Association of Nigeria has pay a condolence visit to the family of former West African and national light-heavyweight champion, Segun ‘Success’ Olanrewaju, whose shocking death still troubled boxing stakeholders and sports enthusiasts.

BPAN executives led by the President, Hon. Omonlei Imadu were in Sango Otta, Ogun State to commiserate with the family and expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident which occurred on Saturday, March 29. Imadu and his team were recieved by the sisters to the late pugilists Folarin Olarenwaju, Rachel Olarenwaju, the wife Olarewaju Adebusola Maria and other senior members of the Olanrewaju’s family.

Olanrewaju collapsed during a bout, an eight-round international light-heavyweight contest, sanctioned by the Ghana Boxing Authority, at the Bukom Arena in Accra.

It was alleged that the boxer was pressured to take the bout because of certain financial commitments, even when he was not medically certified and cleared to face the Ghanaian boxer. Jon Mbanugu.

BPAN empathized with the family over their lost, pledging support to ensure that the late boxer’s death is throughly investigated and culprits face the music if found guilty, as a way to deter unscrupulous persons and organizations from treating boxers as noting, for their own gains.

While seeking justice and compensation for the deceased family, for the irreplaceable loss of the 40-year-old boxer, BPAN as a matter of great concern calls on Nigerians, government and organizations to support the family at this difficult time.

BPAN President, Imadu with the approval of the executive board, announced educational scholarship for the late boxer’s first child Olanrewaju Irenitemi to the secondary school level. Imadu, who is the Chief Executive Officer, Yucateco Boxing Promotions, on behalf of the outfit further donated half a million (500,000) naira to the family.

Imadu said the gesture to show support to the late boxer’s family was born from a place of grief and solidarity with them in this difficult time. The BPAN boss also called on other well-meaning Nigerians beyond the boxing fraternity to come to the aid of the late Olanrenwaju’s family.

” this is a very sad incident that must not be allowed to happen again to any Nigerian boxer, as members of BPAN we have resolved to stand behind the late boxer’s family hence our visit to his home here in Sango-Otta”.

” My personal donation to the family is also a way of taking the lead as I urged other well-meaning Nigerians to follow suit “.

Olanrewaju’s death further exposed zero structure and regulations that support and guaranteed athletes safety, Imadu advocates for serious measures to be taken before boxers step into the ring.

He noted that BPAN recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with Lagos based New Ikeja Hospital to provide free and adequate healthcare, medical support and insurance for Nigerian boxers.

Other BPAN executives present at the visit to the late Olanrenwaju’s home includes Saleh Fawaz, the body’s
International Vice, President, Patrick Ekujumi, Chairman BPAN-Care, and
Yusuf Olowolekomoh, Sec.General. Also on the lists are Ezekiel Oshinmi BPAN’s regional president, and Onyeka Elum, ex-officio member.

In a significant development for the sporting community in Nigeria, rugby has officially been readmitted into the 2024 National Sports Festival, themed “Gateway Games”, scheduled to take place in Ogun State from May 16th to 30th, 2025.

This decision comes following the approval of the Joint Technical Committee for the 22nd edition of the National Sports Festival, who unanimously agreed on the inclusion of rugby after thorough evaluation. The committee cited the game’s rising popularity, increased grassroots participation, and growing national followership as key factors behind this reinstatement.

Speaking on this exciting milestone, the President of the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF), Dr. Ademola Are, expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Director General of the National Sports Commission and Chairman of the Main Organising Committee, Chief Bukola Olopade, as well as the Honourable Commissioner for Sports Development in Ogun State, Hon. Wasiu Isiaka, and the entire Joint Technical Committee. He commended their vision, commitment, and readiness to support the evolution and diversification of sports in Nigeria.

According to Dr. Are, the return of rugby to the festival is not just a win for the sport, but a golden opportunity for talent discovery and national team development. “With this development, Nigerians can once again experience the thrill of top-level rugby at the festival. More importantly, national team selectors will be present at the games to scout for promising talents as we prepare for the prestigious Africa Cup Sevens, scheduled to hold in Mauritius from June 18th to 23rd, 2025,” he stated.

The readmittance of rugby into the festival’s roster is expected to bring renewed excitement to rugby fans and stakeholders across the country. It marks a promising step forward in the sport’s growth trajectory and underscores the National Sports Festival’s role as a catalyst for talent discovery and sports development in Nigeria.

With Ogun State set to host the festival, all eyes are now on the Gateway State as preparations intensify for what promises to be a thrilling, inclusive, and talent-packed edition of Nigeria’s foremost multi-sport event.

The coordinator of netball in Bayelsa State, Catherine Sasuode, has stated that the Bayelsa State netball team is ready to beat all comers in the netball event that is going to be demonstrated for the second time, at the forthcoming National Sports Festival that will hold next month in Abeokuta.

She stated that the state netball team has already started the screening of netballers that will do the state proud at the netball demonstration event. While speaking to journalists, she stated that netball is very popular among secondary school students in Bayelsa State and till date, Bayelsa State Netball Association has held three competitions for secondary school students in the past two years.

Catherine Sasuode, praised the Naija Netball Stakeholders and CSED (Community Sports and Educational Development) Initiative, for their efforts in using the game of netball to promote the social, emotional, health, and athletics development of the girl-child in Bayelsa State. Furthermore, she stated that she would want CSED Initiative to come again to the state and hold another netball training event for a new cohort of P.E. teachers in Bayelsa State.

Furthermore, she commended the four former students of Tare Pet Group of Schools Yanogoa who took part in the 12 weeks long Sporting Coders pilot programme that was held last year. She remarked that their gaining admission into various universities in Nigeria is a credit to their parents, their teachers, their former school and to CSED Initiative, for using the game of netball to empower and nurture the academic and sporting ability of some of the students of Tare Pet Group of Schools.

The names of the former beneficiaries of the Sporting Coders programme who are now undergraduate students are Victory Woyengipreye Gesiye (Medicine at Afe Babalola university) 2024/2025.

Wisdom Alaere Nathan (Political Science at Niger delta University) 2024/2025; Chloe Woyengidoubara Gesiye (Pharmacy at Afe Babalola University) 2024/2025, and Victory Peremoboerei Wenibowei (Microbiology at River State University).

It would be noted that the Sporting Coders programme was specifically designed to give the girl child access to learn new skills, while at the same time, enjoying taking part in sports in a safe and nurturing space. It was also designed to address the under-representation of girls in STEM courses. The pilot project used the medium of netball a once almost extinct sport in Nigeria, as a platform for advocating for and empowering the girl-child.

During the period of the Sporting Coders programme, the 21 students who took part in the programme were on two separate occasions, given ten thousand Naira educational vouchers, as well as free lunch, during the twelve Saturdays that they attended the programme. Furthermore, CSED Initiative, has fulfilled their promise of giving fifty thousand naira each to any of the pioneering cohort that gain admission into a tertiary institution.

Catherine Sasuode confirmed that a major aftermath of the success of the Sporting Coders programme is that some male students at Tare Pet School have also started playing the game of netball. As a result, more boys schools in Bayelsa state are likely to start introducing the game of netball to their students.

Sasuode added that netball in Bayelsa state is not static: “we lead in Nigeria, and we will not want to relent in our efforts in taking the game to all parts of the state. Our last major event was the IDSDP 2025 celebration, which we commemorated on 4th April 2025.”