In a recent interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu, Dr Osondu Ogbu, the chairman of the Enugu State Boxing Association, expressed his disappointment with past administrations in the South-East region of Nigeria for their lack of effort in developing sports outside of football.
According to Ogbu, the governors in the region have failed to encourage the development of sports like boxing, wrestling, basketball, and athletics.
Despite the Southeast sports representatives at the federal level attracting a lot of sporting activities to the region, the government’s attitude towards the game has been lackluster.
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Ogbu narrated their ordeal with the planned zonal Boxing league since 2022, stating that the event did not see the light of day due to the state governments’ refusal to register their boxers.
It was only security outfits like the Police, Army, and Nigeria Civil Defense Corps that registered, and this hindered hosting any sporting activity in the state without government backing.
Ogbu urged South-East governors to make sports a viable tool for the benefit of the state and youths.
He also disclosed that he already has four Enugu State Boxers in camp undergoing intensive training to ensure that the state wins laurels at the National Youth Games.
Ogbu is taking care of the boxers’ hotel bills and is confident that they will help other boxers make the state proud.
He emphasized the need for the government to support sports development by providing necessary infrastructure, funding, and incentives for athletes and coaches.
