Boxing legends now coaches: Joe Mensah, Jerry Okorodudu, Obisia Nwankpa | Gong news
Last week when it emerged Anthony Joshua was rejected by Nigerian boxing coaches…oh oh, heaven almost came down and even in their ‘heyday’ neither of Tony Konyegwachi nor Obisia Nwankpa could weave or bob their way out of the verbal jabs from the provoked, circumstantial, sympathizing fans of AJ.
However, whatever story is out there from his camp, it may be just another version, so Coach Obiaisa Nwankpa would suggest.
Anthony Joshua is of British-Nigerian origin and wanted to represent Nigeria at the 2012 Olympic Games but that ambition hit a snag.
Though he had contacted the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control about flying the Green and White at London 2012, and he was duly communicated by the authorities to join a national trial camp… but then there was glitch.
‘This was in 2011, Nothing was heard from the Boxer; who was relatively new on the scene at the time, until the end of the camp,’ Obisia told brila.net
‘Eventually, when he resurfaced again, there was nothing anybody could do about it. We already shortlisted the boxers for the games and could not drop anybody for him, he should have been at the trials.
‘There was no way we could have put his name on the list without participating at the trial, because everybody we selected took part,’ He said.
However as fate will have it, Joshua represented England and won an olympic gold medal as a Super-Heavyweight. Nigeria , unfortunately, did not make the medal’s table at the Games of the XXX Olympiad.
And as we end that tale, remember, Anthony Joshua ( 18-0,18 KOs) fights Wladimir Klischko ( 64-4, 53 KOS) on Saturday night and the bout is arguably the biggest in the heavyweight category in a long while.
So, go out and be a Nigerian…Joshua still considers himself one.
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