It was protest galore at the boxing venue of the ongoing 13th Africa Games in Accra Ghana.
Trouble started when the result of the bout between Nigerian boxer, Yakubu Ibrahim and EL Barbari Hamza from Morocco which was clearly won by the Nigerian boxer 2-1 (5-0, 2-3 and 3-2) as shown on the score board but was upturned and given to his Moroccan opponent in their Light Middleweight round of 16 bout.
This was a daylight robbery that didn’t go down well with those that watched the fight hence the crisis that followed.
Nigeria won the first round 5-0, lost the second 2-3 and won the 3rd round 3-2 in accordnce with what is on the score board.
The worst of it all and most embarrasing, was that Nigeria officials , Nigeria community in Accra Ghana, the athletes and other boxing enthusiasts who were at the Arena were already jubilating the outcome of the fight when the unholy announcement upturning the result was made.
The injustice threw the entire hall into serious confusion and protest that almost resulted into mayhem as athletes and fans were out to disrupt proceedings.
When the Secretary General of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) Dapo Akinyele took Nigeria’s protest to bout officials, the match Commissioner said it was the bout review that led to the result announced.
And envisaging a bigger problem ahead as a result of the announcement, and in a way to avert it, the match Commissioner advised Nigeria to request for the intervention of the African Boxing Confederation (AFBC)
Meanwhile, to save the image of boxing in Africa, Mr. Akinyele has requested the AFBC to look into the matter with immediate effect and reverse the ugly decision before the next middleweightr bout for credibility sake and the growth of boxing in Africa.
And the question about Dapo Ankinyele is now asking is, ‘why would there be a review in a bout result declared by judges and was changed by match Commissioner when there was no reason for the change, for God’sake’.
