The maiden South-East Amateur Boxing Championship opened in Umuahia, Wednesday June 24, with stakeholders describing it as a major step towards reviving boxing in the region.
In a speech at the opening ceremony of the four-day championship, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Nwaobilor Ananaba, said it would help to discover future champions. He described the event, being sponsored by the Abia Government as a reflection of the government’s commitment to talent discovery, athlete empowerment and sporting excellence.
The South-East Representative on the Board of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), Nnamdi Oji, represented by a sports consultant, Paul Ngaduiba, said that the championship would help revive the sport in the region and restore its lost glory.
He urged participants to embrace sportsmanship, unity and discipline, saying that the competition was designed to promote the growth of boxing in the region.
The opening event featured two boxing bouts. After three rounds of action each, Israel Ogbodo from Enugu and Chidiebere Chukwuemeka from Abia emerged victorious.
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