Leading boxing promoters, YUCATECO will next month, February 6 – 8, 2025 host the maiden World Boxing Council (WBC) amateur boxing championship in Nigeria.
The laudable, land -breaking event, which also serves as a qualifier for the inaugural WBC amateur boxing World Cup, holding later in the year in Mexico, is the first of its kind in Africa.
The championship will hold at the Molade Okoya Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium Lagos, organizers disclosed during a media parley held at the Radisson Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
“We are happy to announce that we will be holding the first ever WBC amateur boxing championship in Nigeria next month”, YUCATECO Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Imonlei Yakubu Imadu, said.
“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”
“Since we do not intend to stop anytime soon, we took another bold step to initiate the first ever WBC amateur boxing championship in Africa”, Imadu added.
“This groundbreaking event which serves as qualifier for the first ever WBC amateur boxing World Cup in Mexico, is slated for February 6 -8 at the Molade Okoya Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium Lagos”.
Speaking further, Imadu who explained what the event portends for Nigerian boxers and how it can help their ratings, revealed that the championship is equally sanctioned by the African Boxing Union (ABU).
“The tournament which is also sanctioned by the ABU will feature pugilists from Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Togo, Benin Republic, Senegal, Cameroon and host nation, Nigeria”, he emphasized.
The YUCATECO boss stated that the event will give African boxers the chance to be rated or ranked by the two boxing bodies WBC and ABU.
Imadu also made it very clear that he has not made a scent from doing this which is borne out of passion and desire to assist the country in helping to re-channel the energies of the young ones into more productive things rather than indulge in vices.
He noted that they are open to collaboration, sponsorship and other forms of partnership that can further help boost the vision of the organisation.
Meanwhile, the technical director of YUCATECO, Babatunde Laguda, shared more light on the competition format which he said will be on a knockout basis in both male and female categories.
The Lagos State Sports Commission was ably represented at the event by Ola Okunnu while many other boxing authorities spoke virtually from different countries around the world to offer their full support and readiness for the fourth coming championship.