By Tonye Orabere
The Vice President of Nigeria Boxing Association (NBA) Osifo Moses has advised coaches in Nigeria to go to the rural area to discover hidden talents.
He stated that the ongoing Niger Delta Sport Festival (NDSF) holding in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State is not all about winning at all cost but to discover talents and groom them to stardom.
Coach Moses who is also the Head Coach Ondo State Boxing Association, gave the advice while speaking to sports journalists , today at Community Secondary School, Aka Offot, the venue of the boxing event.
He revealed that the National boxing coach will come and see how the boxers will performance, consequently call the best to national camp.
“Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) said its aim to host this competition was to discover talents at the grassroots and not for elite athletes.
” The national body of NBA will not allow any elite athlete to participate in this festival because it is basically for grassroots boxers” Moses said.
According to him, any good boxing coach cannot put hope on any particular boxer to win a particular fight because the draws and by can give you bad luck.
” In boxing tournament or competition the best boxer can be defeated in the quarter final stage , because champion and champion can meet in quarter final or in preliminaries one will definitely be defeated.
“We don’t necessarily pick a boxer because he won a fight but we look at experience and techniques.
” Doncan Dokiwari who was knocked down in 1994 in a championship was picked by then national coach, which he later won gold in Commonwealth games” he added.
