By; AYO OJEDOKUN, Lagos
Apparently unhappy with the incident involving the 3SC fans and those of Remo Stars FC, after the NPFL matchday eleven fixtures in Ikenne, the Chairman, Oyo State Chapter of Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC) Hon Gbenga Opaleye has condemned the apparent violence tendencies of football fans.
While reacting to newsmen in Ibadan, the former council boss said boxing fans are more organized and decent than the soccer fans, hinging his conclusion on his experience and peaceful conduct of boxing fans during many boxing shows NBBofC has supervised in the state and beyond.
It will be recalled that many of Ibadan soccer fans who travelled to cheer Oluyole Warriors to victory in Ikenne, Ogun State last week, came back with various degree of injuries, following the fracas the ensued at the premises of Remo Stars FC’ Stadium, the act Opaleye said has never happened in any boxing venue.
“I believe boxing that most people erroneously regard as being violent is more peaceful in nature than football and boxing fans that they seemingly see as touts are more decent and organized than soccer fans.
“From my experiences in supervising boxing bout, as member of the highest boxing governing body in Nigeria and chairman of Oyo State (NBBofC), we have never for once recorded violence in our venue and I want the football association to borrow leaves from us.
“We have organized more than 20 boxing shows here in Oyo State, with some of our bouts recording more than 6,000 spectators, like the one we held inside main-bowl of Liberty Stadium, there is never a case of violence at any boxing venue, which shows the decency of the boxing fans”, Opaleye explained.
He however called on their teeming fans to troop out as usual to watch boxing shows lined up for this month, (February) when Core Afrique Boxing Promotion (COABOX) stage a boxing show tagged: ‘Scorpion Stings Again’, on February 27, inside the indoor hall of Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, and GOTV Boxing Show that is likely to return to Ibadan in April.
