Okorodudu calls for regular age-group competitions

Former Olympics boxing quarterfinalist, Jerry Okorodudu, says Nigeria will only regain its place among the world’s best in the sport if it promoted regular age group competitions across the country, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Okorodudu, now a national boxing coach, yesterday explained that the essence was for the boxers to have suitable environment to exhibit their skills among their peers.

“There are a lot of young boxers aspiring to develop careers in
boxing, and they practice on their own at their various localities, even without knowing the basic rules.

“We must go back to the drawing board and begin to identify these raw talents, who are out there waiting for opportunities to be identified,’’ he said.

He said that the passion to contribute to the growth of the sport prompted him to initiate a programme tagged, ‘Potential Showcasing of Boxing Talent,’ which is aimed at identifying budding talents at the grassroots.

Okorodudu said the competition was for boxers from the age of nine to 12, adding that the programme was initiated as a way of giving back to the
society.

“I have been running grassroots competitions for three years now with the support of some private individuals and corporate bodies, committed to supporting boxing.

“It is an open competition but strictly for the specified age categories and the response have been encouraging.