By Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line
IN NIGERIAN sports, when your opponent refuses to show up for an encounter, you shout “WEY DEM?” That was the shout in the Nigerian camp on Wednesday night at the 4th African Youth Games Boxing event in faraway Luanda, Angola.
Home girl, Zola Lando of Angola refused to show up for her bout against Mayowa Shukurat Ayomide in the 48 Kg category making Mayowa to gain a walkover into the semifinals on Thursday.
Patmos Media sought to know why Zola who was at the weigh-in on Wednesday morning and was also at the venue Wednesday night refused to come out of the dressing room for her bout with Mayowa and one of the boxing officials told me “We went to persuade her, met the Angola Boxing officials also persuading her to come out and fight in the Teenagers duel but she was simply scared of the boxing prowess or skills of her Nigerian opponent”.
Mayowa is in the cover picture taken at the venue on Wednesday night and she from the feelers at the venue is likely to create a Nigerian – Ghana Jollof war as the Ghanaian girl about to fight as at our Press time is tipped to meet Mayowa in the semifinal.
Patmos Media Line previous report of the bout between Olalekan Farouq and the Boxer from Central African Republic was corrected by boxing officials here that all the three Nigerian fighters have qualified for the semifinals.
By Boxing rules, that is automatic Bronze medal for the fighter even if the fighter loses the bout except if the fighter scratches like Zola meaning that Nigeria is sure of winning medals in the Boxing events in Luanda.
Secretary of the Nigerian Boxing Board Federation, Mrs. Vivian Azimene exclusively told Patmos Media Line at the Ring Side Wednesday night while waiting to confirm Mayowa’s Opponent with Angelic Confidence that “Nigerian Boxers will surely qualify for the finals and bring home three Boxing Gold Medals”.
.Farouq will now face No 1 seeded Salmane Kochbati of Tunisia in the semifinal of the contest. Solomon Joshua Nweke of Nigeria seeded No 2 in the 65-70 kg also was drawn bye and will meet the winner between No 3 seed Wisdom Pedro Malungo of Angola and no 6 seeded Sofiane Kherraf of Algeria in the semifinal.
The Boxing events started on Monday 15th December, but the Games proper will officially end on Saturday 20th of December.
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