Eight Countries for YUCATECO Sponsored Amateur Boxing World Cup Qualifiers in Nigeria

Boxers from eight African countries are expected in Nigeria next month when the maiden edition of the World Boxing Council (WBC)/African Boxing Union (ABU) Amateur Boxing Championship holds in Lagos.

YUCATECO, one of the leading boxing promotion outfit in Nigeria and Africa is leading the plans to host the WBC/ABU championship that  will serve as qualifier for the WBC Amateur Boxing World Cup in Mexico later in the year.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos yesterday to herald the competition taking place between February 6 and 8, CEO of YUCATECO, Imonlei Yakubu Imadu, stressed that boxers from Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Togo, Benin Republic, Senegal, Cameroon and host country, Nigeria will participate in the championship scheduled to hold inside the newly built Gymnasium at Teslim Balogun Stadium financed by his boxing promotion outfit.

He was enthusiastic about the prospect of Nigerian boxers performing creditably well at the championship as the bulk of them competed in the first two seasons of the YUCATECO Boxing League.

“Our mission to reposition boxing in the country and the continent is  born out of our passion for the growth and development of young people, most especially those from the less privileged communities,” began Imadu whose YUCATECO hosted the first ever boxing league championship in Uzebba, Edo State last year.

“Because we do not intend to stop anytime soon, we took another bold step to initiate the first ever WBC amateur boxing championship in Africa.

“This groundbreaking event which serves as qualifier for the first ever WBC amateur boxing World Cup in Mexico, is also sanctioned by the ABU. It will give African boxer the opportunity to be ranked by both the WBC /ABU.”

The YUCATECO chief executive emphasized the need for corporate world to support grassroots sports development as he is currently doing in other to give a brighter future to the less privileged on the streets.

According to the technical director of YUCATECO Boxing Promotion, Babatunde Laguda, the competition next month will be on a knockout basis  in both male and female weight categories.

The Lagos State Sports Commission was represented at the event by Ola Okunnu with WBC’s Wendy and other boxing aficionados from around Africa sending live video felicitations to the event and speaking of their preparedness to be in Lagos for the championship.