CWG: Selection Controversy Haunts Nigerian Boxing Team at Glasgow

Some amateur boxers and their coaches on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest at the National Stadium in Lagos over the selection of athletes representing Nigeria at the ongoing 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The protesters, who gathered at the Nigerian Amateur Boxing Association office located inside the Brai Ayonote Boxing Complex, accused the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) of favouritism and poor judgment in selecting the country’s boxing team.

Carrying banners and placards, they appealed to the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, and the chairman of the NBF, Wale Edun, to intervene in what they described as a crisis threatening the future of Nigerian boxing.

The demonstrators specifically accused the federation’s vice chairman, Yakubu Imadu Omonlei, of influencing the selection process in favour of certain boxers.

According to them, the alleged manipulation has negatively affected Nigeria’s performance at the Commonwealth Games, where five of the six boxers representing Team Nigeria have reportedly been eliminated in the preliminary rounds.

The protesters argued that the disappointing results exposed flaws in the selection process and called on the federation to prioritise merit and proven performance when choosing athletes for major international competitions.

Addressing the gathering, the NBF Technical Director, Babatunde Laguda, appealed for calm and advised the aggrieved coaches and athletes to formally submit their complaints.

He assured them that their grievances would be examined through the appropriate channels.

One of the protesting coaches, Fatai Azeez of Owonikoko Boxing Club, questioned why his boxer, Adeshina Zainab, was excluded despite her impressive international record.

According to Azeez, Zainab won a silver medal at the African Games in Ghana, reached the final of the Olympic qualifiers in Thailand in 2024, where she narrowly lost to a Finnish opponent, and also claimed silver at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia.

He added that the boxer had consistently represented Nigeria at international competitions since 2023 and regularly reached the final stages of tournaments.

Responding to the allegations, the Communications Director of the NBF, Mathew Okougbe, dismissed the protest and urged Nigerians to disregard the claims.

Okougbe alleged that the demonstration was sponsored by a senior official of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control to discredit the federation’s vice chairman.

He maintained that the athletes selected for the Commonwealth Games emerged through a competitive trial process and received adequate preparation before the competition.

According to him, the National Sports Commission sponsored the team to training camps abroad and provided all the necessary support required for a successful outing.

He added that it was unfair to blame one individual for the team’s poor performance, noting that the National Sports Commission was already examining the issues raised and would address them appropriately.