Ministry partners Yucateco to develop boxing in Nigeria

The Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has expressed the Ministry’s readiness to partner with the Yucateco boxing promotions, organizers of the Yucateco Boxing League to develop boxing in Nigeria

Enoh made this known when he received Omolei Yakubu, CEO Yucateco boxing promotions in his office in Abuja on Thursday.

The Minister said the partnership with Yucateco Boxing promotions is expected to yield a range of initiatives aimed at nurturing talents, organizing competitions, and providing necessary support structures for athletes across Nigeria.

“The cornerstone and future of our sports resides at the grassroots level thus I am excited to engage with individuals who work at the grassroots level. Our country has a glorious past in boxing, but it is gradually losing that glory. Nigerians have the innate ability to excel in any sports, including boxing,” Enoh said.

“Having won Olympic gold medals in long jump and football we should win a gold medal in boxing. Through strategic partnerships such as this with Yucateco Boxing Promotion, we aim to tap into the vast talent pool within our nation and provide avenues for aspiring boxers to excel on both national and international platforms.”

Yakubu said that the sports ministry’s desire to partner with Yucateco is a testament to the growth and work done over the years saying, “What we have done is out there for everyone to see, and I am not surprised we are getting this level of recognition at this time.

“The responsibility has become even bigger with our collaboration with the sports ministry, like I have said before, our aim is to make global stars from these ones you see today as amateur or local pugilists. Our drive to change the narrative in nigerian boxing is born out of our passion to grow the sports from the grass-roots, we are ready to put our nation on the map again.”

Season one of the Yucateco boxing league came to a close recently in Lagos with the top boxing club pocketing a whopping N20m. The star boxer of the season also went home with a brand new car.