Sports lovers across the length and breath of Oyo State are commending the Chief Executive Officer of Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resorts for procurement of FIFA standard boxing bout with the aim of promoting local boxing talents in the grassroots.
Speaking with journalists on Thursday during the unveiling of the boxing ring, the Chief Operating Officer of Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resorts, Mr. Adesina Araoye, said I’m excited and I can say all of us I mean the entire management are happy because of the unveiling of this professional boxing bout ring today.
“Last year precisely December we hosted world boxing bout, that happened between our son, Ridwan Scorpion and Montecello of Argentina and we are more or less bankrolled in that event which cost us millions of naira, and at the end of the day we could not convert it into a profitable event, and we decided to convert that into opportunities.
“To do that we have to go fully into boxing, having succeeded to a large extent in both conventional and mini football, so we decided to have our own boxing, we had to hire a boxing ring for last year event, and now we have our own boxing ring where several boxing bouts will be taking place, and this is also available for hire for other boxing promoters and other organizations.
“In addition to that we are going to have our boxing academy here, and for this we are going to have a training ring, and also a professional gym, where professional boxers, inspiring boxers, armature boxers
can come and train themselves, through that we believe there will be an opportunity to promote boxing beyond the current level that we are presently. That is the aim of this project. Adesina said.
Adesina also used the opportunity to brief journalists about the bout that is scheduled for August 27.
He said, we are looking forward to a bout which is going to take place here on August 27th, there are quite number of bouts that is going to take place on that day, but the start bout of that day is going to be between our son Ridwan Scorpion and another Boxer from Ghana, Manzi.
Adesina however advised parents to embrace boxing game, he said by the time the parents begin to see what is happening here they will know that boxing is a very good game, is a very exciting game, and it is a game that should be encouraged, by all and sundry because people have made names through boxing, they have made a lot of money, I mean millions of naira through boxing, they have made a lot of dollars from boxing, and this is going to have a lot of impact on our economy if we can promote it, there is a lot of youths restiveness, there is a lot of youths unemployment, and we can engage our youths in boxing game, and I’m sure it will benefit everyone involved,.
Also speaking during the unveiling event, is Mr. Olusola Ayodele, a boxing promoter, and a boxing manager, said my sincere appreciations goes to Engr. Dotun Sanusi the CEO of Ilaji Hotels and Sport Resorts.
“Engr. Sanusi is indeed a sport messiah of our time in Oyo State, Nigeria, Africa and the world at large. Engr. Sanusi has invested so much of his money to procure this for us, I appreciate him as a promoter, it is not a good testimony to say that as big as Nigeria is, we have just only one boxing ring.
Last year when we approach Engr. Sanusi about hosting the bout between our own Ridwan Scorpion and Montecello of Argentina he hired the ring for us, and he sponsored the event, he promised to get one for us, and today to the Glory of God he got this for us, and not only for us but for the State, as this is the second one in the whole of the federation, and the first of its kind in the whole of Africa.
“I thank God for his life, so if I call him a sports messiah I know what I’m saying, this is a man that has a great vision for youth development and upcoming sports men in our society, he has done a lot to promote most especially the sports talent at the grassroots both in football games and boxing, with this he has started with the boxing and I can tell you that this development will bring a lot of opportunities for those that are yearning to be a professional boxers in the nearest future.
He has started his own boxing academy, and is going to be great and is going to cut across every states of the Federation, so I will say is a good development as far as boxing is concern in Nigeria and Africa at large, and by the Grace of God on the 27th of August there will be a boxing show here, and this is sponsor by Engr himself, he has be doing a lot for boxing.
He has been trying to prove that we can actually bring the best from the act of hooliganism that some youths in Ibadan are currently embracing to better their lives and future, as far as boxing game is concerned is a great profession where people can make name and money.
The world champion Ridwan Scorpion Oyetola will be having a boxing bout with Emmanuel Menza from Ghana, is going to be an exciting night and we have some other bouts that will take place in that day, we will be having some armature boxers having their debut bouts on that very day, as well as female boxing bouts, we are going to be having kickboxing, we going to have an exhibition fight at that night. Olusola stressed.
