The Lagos State Amateur Boxing Association (LSABA) said it had started the grooming of boxers to represent the state at the 19th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Calabar, next year. Wasiu Bisiriyu, Head Coach, LSABA, disclosed in Lagos that the association was using the platform of the monthly "Saturday Boxing Shows" to groom the boxers. The Show is the monthly event that holds every last Saturday of the month, and is being organised by LSABA and sponsored by the Lagos State Boxing Hall of Fame (LSBHF).
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Bisiriyu said that the shows had afforded LSABA the opportunity of discovering a pool of talented boxers who can rub shoulders with their counterparts in national and international bouts.
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"Some people may say next year is still far, but we are using the opportunity of these shows to discover and groom more boxers in preparation for Calabar 2014.
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"Through the shows, we have discovered and developed lots of budding and established boxers that I believe can represent the state adequately at any local or international competition. The Shows have also helped the state to be on top in boxing in the country," he said.
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According to him, the state topped the boxing medals table at the 17th National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt, in 2011, with eight gold, two silver and a bronze medal.
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He added that the state also topped the boxing medals table at the 18th National Sports Festival held last year in Lagos with seven gold and two bronze medals.
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The coach said that the state was determined to surpass its medals tally at the last two festivals, adding that that was the reason it had started on time to discover and groom talented boxers ahead of Calabar 2014.
We will have lots of them in this country. They should go to different garrages, those Agberos would be great boxers