Hassan Foly’s Defeat Raises Fresh Questions Over Nigeria’s Boxing Team Selection at Commonwealth Games

Nigeria’s campaign at the ongoing XXIII Commonwealth Games suffered an early setback on Friday as Hassan Foly, competing in the men’s 70kg division, crashed out in the Round of 32 after a comprehensive 4-0 points defeat to Refiloe Thai of Lesotho.

Fighting from the blue corner, Foly was unable to match the composure and tactical superiority of his Lesotho opponent, who earned a unanimous decision to progress to the next round.

The disappointing result has reignited criticism of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) over the selection process that produced the country’s boxing contingent for the Commonwealth Games.
Reacting to the defeat, several boxing stakeholders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the outcome did not come as a surprise, insisting they had earlier warned Nigerians not to expect impressive performances from the team because of what they described as irregularities and lack of transparency during the national trials.

According to the stakeholders, merit was allegedly sacrificed during the selection exercise, leaving several talented and deserving boxers out of the national team.

“Nothing can be more shameful than a Nigerian boxer losing 4-0 to Lesotho when we have thousands of talented boxers capable of representing the country with distinction.
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Unfortunately, the greed of some individuals saddled with the responsibility of managing amateur boxing has continued to deny the nation its best athletes,” one stakeholder lamented.

The critics maintained that Nigeria’s rich boxing heritage should ordinarily place the country among the leading contenders at major international competitions, but alleged administrative shortcomings and questionable selection procedures have continued to undermine the sport’s progress.

They further expressed fears that more disappointing results could follow unless urgent reforms are introduced in the administration of amateur boxing, particularly in the conduct of national trials and athlete selection.

Despite the early setback, Nigeria still has five boxers scheduled to compete in the tournament. Abdul-Ramon Abdul-Wahab will be in action in the men’s 65kg preliminary bout.
On Saturday, July 25, Akintola David is expected to compete in the men’s 80kg preliminary bout, while Ajishola Kadijat will contest the women’s 54kg Round of 16 on Sunday, July 26.

Nigeria’s campaign will continue on Tuesday, July 28, when Patricia Mbata fights in the women’s 75kg quarter-final, before Orakwe Blessing steps into the ring on Wednesday, July 29, in the women’s 70kg quarter-final.

While supporters remain hopeful that the remaining athletes can redeem Nigeria’s campaign, many within the boxing community insist that the federation must address concerns surrounding transparency, fairness, and merit-based selection if the country is to reclaim its status as a boxing powerhouse on the international stage.