By Tunde Eludini
October 14, 2010 12:37AM
“Do I have to be an ex-convict, a criminal or a dangerous and wicked militant before I can meet with you?” The question above is an excerpt from an open letter written by highly controversial Nigerian boxer, Bash Ali to President Goodluck Jonathan.
Ali, who remains poised to set a record as the oldest boxer to win a world title has given Jonathan up till October 15 to declare his readiness to support his historic fight or risk the fight taking place elsewhere.
“Sir, once again, if I do not hear from you before Friday, October 15, 2010, I will approach another African president to host this historic event,” Ali had written in his letter.
Ali stunned many in 2006, when he suddenly declared: “I am at the ripe age of 50 years and all set to erase Joe Bugner’s name from the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest man to win a world title.”
However, four years down the line, the purported fight has failed to see the light of day as it has been clouded with so many controversies and setbacks.
A new date of December 11 is now been proposed for the fight which is expected to gulp about two billion naira.
Multiple benefits
For Ali, this is not in any way too much to spend on the fight which he believes the country will reap multiple benefits from.
“Sir, your great and wise advisers advised you to spend almost N7 Billion to celebrate Nigeria’s 50th anniversary because of their personal benefits while Nigeria did not get back a kobo in return. Now, you have set up a committee to probe how the money was spent.
“The same great and wise advisers of yours are against your keeping Nigeria’s promise to me by investing a small N2 Billion to earn a minimum N75 Billion and nine Sports Academies across Nigeria because they cannot share the money,” Ali said.
A Guinness World Record fight has never been held on an African soil, hence the historic event is set to be the first and the biggest boxing event to hold on the continent since Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman in Zaire in 1974.
The International Boxing Union (IBU) had given Nigeria a deadline of October 8, 2010 to pay the $1m USD sanction fee which will authorise the approval for Nigeria to host the historic event or lose the right to host to the Republic of Ireland. But after the October 1 bombing, the IBU extended the deadline to October 29.
According to Ali, the 182 country members of the IBU and the WBF will be in Nigeria to watch the event and they include former and current world boxing champions like George Foreman, Mohammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Ken Norton, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns and Joe Bugner.
In addition, local and international movie stars and athletes from around the world will also be in Nigeria to be part of boxing history.
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