U.S.based Jacboxing Promotions in conjunction with Enugu State Sports Council will hold a one-day boxing tournament to assess the ability of boxers discovered for the 17th National Sports Festival (NSF).
The sports festival will take place at the new Adokiye Amiesimaka Sports Complex, Port Harcourt, from June29 to July 10.
The tournament holds today at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
Ike Enwereuzor, proprietor of Jacboxing promotions, told newsmen on Friday in Enugu that the aim of the tournament was to discover good boxers who would represent Enugu at the festival and other competitions.
Enwereuzor, sponsor of the event, said he had the intention of promoting professional fights too in the state as a way of encouraging young boxers with potential.
“We are here to promote sports, particularly boxing. It should not be regarded as a game for hooligans.
“Boxing is a game for serious-minded people and they earn a living from it,” he said.
The promoter explained that he had donated some pairs of boxing gloves to support the President Goodluck Jonathan Talent Hunt Boxing, which will hold on May 22.
Ikechukwu Okoronkwo, Chairman Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the President Jonathan competition, said the one-day tournament was a welcome development to lift the dying spirit of boxing.
Okoronkwo, a former Light Welterweight Boxing Champion, explained that the Lion Boxing Club, Enugu, decided to support the tournament to encourage young boxers in the state.
“We want to see their performance and ability before the President Jonathan competition,” the LOC chairman said.
“There are no facilities in the state for boxing but we will try our best to move the sport forward.’’
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
