The Lagos Individual Boxing Club Championship has been concluded on Sunday at the Bishop Aggey playing ground, Ilassamaja, Mushin, Lagos.

Boxers from different boxing clubs in the state assembled for the week-long tourney designed to churn out more talents, eliminating juvenile delinquency and in preparations for the forthcoming “Gateway Games” in the neighbouring Ogun State.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Director General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, reiterated the commitment of the state in propagating grassroots sports development, noting that the commission would continously bringing initiative that will encourage the youths to take active part across different sporting areas.

He noted that the identified boxers will be presented to the sport association in state so that their talents can be properly nurtured to further shape their career in their choosing discipline.

“We realized that their is a need for us to further engage the community, particularly the young people in productive activities and also to help them harnessed their hidden sporting talents”, said Fatodu.

However, Abeeb Adekunle, who fought under the badge of Owonikoko Boxing Club, won a gold medal in the 80kg category, following his winning streak at the championship. Omotajo Semiu won a gold medal after dominating the 75kg weight category, while Lawal Ismail grabbed a gold medal in the 71kg.

Also, in the female weight categories, Adura Patience from Owonikoko Boxing Club, Divine Emmanuel, Owonikoko Boxing Club, and Jinadu Ikimat, Star Boxing Club, clinched gold medals in 70kg 86kg and 61kg respectively.

Director, Sports Development, LSSC, Nunayon Travih, stressed that the identified boxers at the championship would be monitored and guided to achieve their potential in the course of their discipline.

Travih added that with their ability and dexterity in the boxing ring they would be expose to proper guidance and routine training in order to continue to hone their skills.

Director, Technical Department, Usman Okunnu, posited that the championship is part of the lineup activities of the LSSC to put the state’s athletes in proper positions for the forthcoming national competitions and to also catch them young at the grassroots level.

He said apart from boxing there are other events like blind sports, cricket, softball among others coming up in different locations.

Reigning African champion Esther Kolawole has secured a bronze medal in the 62kg weight class at the 2024 u23 World Wrestling Championships in Tirana, Albania.

Kolawole in the 16th round, lost to USA Macey Kilty 3-3 on criteria.

However, the 2024 Paris Olympian in a Repachage match, defeated Tynys Dubek of Kazakhstan by a 10-0 superiority score, having beaten Venezuela’s Astrid Montero with same scoreline 10-0.

Undeterred, Esther Kolawole secured the bronze medal with an emphatic 10-0 superiority win over Viktoria Vesso of Estonia.

Reacting to the win in Albania, the President Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Hon. Daniel Igali applauded the motivated reaction of Esther Kolawole after she lost in the 16th round.

Daniel Igali, who, alongside Coach Akuh Purity, led Esther Kolawole to the championship, expressed confidence that the experience will shape her for future international events. “Esther was unlucky not be in the finals of this event. Our goal is to start the preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in earnest. Getting on the podium at the U-23 world championships is a step towards that goal”.

Kolawale is expected to return back to Nigeria in readiness for the 3rd Gov. Diri National Championships from 5-9 November in Yenagoa.

Over seven hundred and fifty athletes and coaches from the thirty six states of the federation will jostle for glory in the 3rd Governor Douye Diri Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Dr. Daniel Igali gave the hint at the press conference held in Yenagoa ahead of the championship.

He said the championship would commence from the 3rd through 10th of November, 2024 while the wrestling date will start from the 5th through the 9th of next month, stating that the Gov Douye Diri Wrestling Classics remains the longest wrestling tourney in the country.

The commissioner explained that the federation has received over twenty states who have indicated interest with both military and paramilitary organizations and also, over fifteen clubs have so far shown concern for this year’s championship.

Dr Igali noted that this year’s edition would witness an improved organization compared to the previous edition due to the level of enthusiasm and interest from the participants coupled with the nation’s poor outing in the last Olympics games in Paris, France.

He asserted that the 3rd Gov Douye Diri Wrestling Classics would witnessed freestyle, Greco-Roman female styles and senior wrestling, explaining that freestyle and Greco-Roman will have ten weight classes, with an inclusion of five Junior and cadet classes making it a total of forty-five weight classes.

While appreciating governor Douye Diri for his unwavering support towards the development of sports in the last four years, the Olympian noted that Bayelsa remains the most successful wrestling state in the country, pointing out that the state has produced eighty- two gold medals in the continent.

He further explained that Bayelsa has eighty-two time African champions from the state making it one hundred and thirty -eight medals won by Bayelsans at the African level, with four commonwealth gold medalists, Olympic silver medalist and 19time Olympian from Bayelsa describing the state as the home of wrestling.

Permanent secretary Ministry of Sports Development, Mrs. Grace Alagoa said Nigerians should expect the best of wrestling from this year’s championship.

Director of Sports Bayelsa State Council, Sir Braveman Wodi, opined that the championship is a veritable platform to prepare the athletes for the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Chairman Bayelsa State Table Tennis Association, said he is happy to collaborate with the Nigeria wrestling Federation to positively engage the youths through sports.