The Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) has formally requested compensation from World Boxing after three of its female athletes were prevented from competing at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool due to delayed gender test results.
According to Olalekan Faseesin, the Secretary General of the NBF, a formal letter has been sent to World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst. The move follows consultations with the Nigerian Olympic Committee to address the issue. The affected boxers, identified as Zainab Adeshina (51kg), Mistura Idowu (48kg), and Blessing Oraekwe (75kg), were excluded from the competition despite undergoing mandatory tests in Leeds immediately upon their arrival in the United Kingdom. Their results, however, were not processed in time for the tournament.
The NBF is seeking compensation to cover significant financial losses, including flight tickets and hotel accommodation. Additionally, the federation has demanded an all-expense-paid trip for the affected boxers to the next championships scheduled to be held in Delhi, India.
Nigeria was one of several nations impacted by the testing delays, with countries like France, the Philippines, Fiji, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba also affected. The exclusions left British-born Nigerian Patricia Mbata as the country’s sole female representative, who went on to lose her opening bout. Only Algeria and Nigeria represented Africa at the event.
The incident has also sparked internal criticism within the federation. Azania Omo-Agege, the interim president, questioned the expenditure of over ₦70 million approved for the trip, describing Nigeria’s participation as a costly mistake. He also expressed concern over the absence of the national coach, Tony Konyegwachie, stating, “You cannot have the team go without the national coach because these athletes can run away.” Omo-Agege has called for a probe into the use of the funds and plans to write to the National Assembly to request a formal investigation.
