The race for qualification for the 2025 Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame (LBHF) Governor’s Belt will continue this weekend at the Agege Stadium, venue of the November Monthly Championships.

The competition begins on Saturday at the refurbished arena with boxers battling for coveted slots in the end-of-year Governor’s Belt bouts. With competition heating up, every punch will carry the weight of ambition, as athletes aim to prove themselves worthy of a place in one of Nigeria’s most respected grassroots boxing events.

Among the exciting fights lined up for the weekend are three female bouts and seven male contests. In the women’s category, Mistura Otenaike of Surulere will slug it out against Aina Adekiwonsa of Lagos Island in the 48kg division. Eniola Idowu faces Oyindamola Agboola in the 45kg class, while an exhibition bout will see Zainab Ibrahim of Queen Elizabeth Junior Secondary School take on Peculiar Ifemaye of Glory International School, Agbado, in the 27kg class.

The opening bout in the men’s category pits Kareem Yusuf of Amuwo against Olamide Bello of Yaba in the 53kg category.

In the 60kg division, Kola Ogunsemore of Lagos Mainland battles Qudus Akinwande of Badagry, while Ganiu Ayomide of Agboyi Ketu faces Daniel Nkem of Oshodi in another clash at the same weight.

Other bouts include Seun Habu vs Fasosi Paisol in the 70kg, Christian Obi vs Paul Melvin in the 85kg, and Victor Okagbue vs Daniel Nwose in the 90kg.

In the men’s exhibition contest, Modeed Omotayo of Layeni Junior Secondary School will square off against Michael Adedapo of Julius International School in the 30kg division.

The tournament serves as a qualifier for boxers seeking slots in the prestigious Governor’s Belt Championship later this year.

According to LBHF Director David Mohamed, this weekend’s event is the last qualifying bout before the Governor’s Belt finale.

“Since we resumed LBHF in October, there has been serious interest from boxers across Lagos. We cannot accommodate everyone, so we aim to select the very best for the Governor’s Belt.

“This weekend’s bouts will surely produce another set of boxers for the end-of-year tournament,” he said.