Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) is listed among the 27 countries expected at the 2023 World Boxing inaugural congress.
This is despite the crisis that has engulfed the NBF, with the indefinite suspension of the Nigerian Boxing Federation’s (NBF) Vice President, Azania Omo-Agege, by the body for acts allegedly inimical to the interest of the country.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) in what seems as a retaliatory move, had equally suspended NBF President, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, for taking Nigeria into the new amateur body, World Boxing.
Nigeria is the only African country listed for the congress that has the likes of Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, USA and Wales expected to be in attendance.
World Boxing, a new federative body that emerged amid the conflict between the IOC and the IBA with the intention of keeping the sport in the Olympic program in Los Angeles 2028, remains determined to gather the largest number of members. It seeks to take advantage of the ongoing review by CAS of IBA’s appeal on the IOC’s decision to exclude it from the movement and, in this period of indecision, gain supporters for the cause.
It is worth noting that the IOC was responsible for organising the entire qualifying process for Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.