President of Nigerian
Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), Dr. Rafiu Ladipo has urged amateur boxers
in the country not to exercise fear by turning professional.
Ladipo gave the
charge in a chat with Sportsbiz247.blogspot.com during the ‘Return of Victory Night’ boxing
championship packaged by a United Kingdom - based boxing promotion company,
Ace's Solid Sports, held at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of the
Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The NBB of C
president said efforts are being made to encourage more promotional outfits to
register with the board so that boxers can have more fights.
“Our plan is to
register promoters as much as possible so that we can have our boxers fight
every time. We are making sure that whatever they are paid will take care of
them, sustain them until when they have another fight. So I’m happy with
tournaments or championships like this.
“The amateur still
have a long way to go. I’ve told the good ones among them that they have to
turn pro as early as possible so that they don’t stay in the amateur cadre for
too long a time. There is no money in the amateur boxing, you can only get the
big money when you turn professional.
When you stay too long in the amateur
category then what will you gain when you turn pro. Is it when you are 30 to 35
that you want to turn pro and then want to be a world champion? By the time you
are 20 to 22 if you really want to make boxing your means of living, please
turn pro and then start to make money like your counterparts in Canada, Mexico,
America, Porto Rico, South Africa and others. We have talents and potentials in
this country and if properly guided and supported we can start to have ABU
Champions, Commonwealth champions and world champion,” Ladipo told
Sportsbiz247.blogspot.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment