Wednesday April 13th, 2021 will go down memory lane for Team Ogun as four of its boxers lost in the finals of the boxing event at the 20th National Sports Festival in Benin City, Edo State.
Before the day’s finals, five of the Team Ogun boxers had advanced to the finals of the event having defeated their other competitors in a keenly contested semifinals while the finals were anticipated to be victorious for them.
However, the four out of the five state boxers who were full of hope to win all their contests against their opponents could not achieve that due to the poor officiating by the judges at the finals held at Akenzua Cultural Centre, Airport Road.
The finals were watched by Ogun State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Dr. Kehinde Oluwadare; Hon. Olamide Lawal, Special Assistant on Youths and Sports to the Governor; Ogun State Sports Council, Director of Sports, Mrs Folakemi Oluwarotimi Iyabo and many others.
Though, the first and second bouts lost by the Team Ogun boxers as a result of the poor judgments by the judges left everyone to be questioning such decisions , even the spectators were all against the announcement.
However, despite the two defeats, the state boxers took it calm and hoping the third bout would be won only for the same misjudgment to repeat itself, which triggered the disruption of the commencement of the next fight.
Even, upon the announcement of the Lagos boxer as winner of the bout, all the spectators, boxing fans went on rampage just as chairs, tables and many other things were destroyed in solidarity for Team Ogun boxers.
At the end of the fracas, officials of Team Ogun had to write a letter of protest to the coordinator of the boxing event at the sports festival to express their displeasure upon the judgment of the officiating officials.
Moreover, the last two bouts that involved Team Ogun boxers resulted in mixed fortune as only Fadilat Tijani was able to win her bout convincingly and win a gold medal for the state while the other boxer having been demoralised by the recent misjudgment lost the gold fight.
Meanwhile, as the boxing event was going to a close, itt was finally disrupted aftermath of a controversial result in bout involving Team Edo boxer and its opponent from Team Bayelsa.
The announcement of this result hereby turned the venue to free for all fight and sporadic gun shots, whereby boxers, officials, spectators and security officers ran for their dear lives.
Many of those who managed to escape from the hall jumped through the fence to the Airport road, while some of the VIPs and others trapped inside could recall their memories.
In summary, Team Ogun won one gold, four silver on the day to add to bronze medals that had earlier been won in the boxing event.
