Current World Boxing Champion, Bash Ali has beckon on Nigeria President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give total support to his plan to stage The Guinness World Record as the oldest boxer to engage in professional bout.
Seeking Federal Government approval to host the fight in the country, Bashiru Ali assured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria benefitting billion of dollars if the world record fight should be held in Nigeria.
Bash Ali, 68, in a World Conference held in Abuja on Wednesday maintained that despite efforts to frustrate the dream, insisted he wouldn’t give up on Nigeria hosting the multimillion dollars fight.
Ali added that his love for his fatherland made him to reject €75m offered to him to host the world record bout in Saudi Arabia or Germany.
“I call on Nigeria government particularly the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give total support for the fight for Guinness World Boxing Champion to hold in Nigeria. I am not asking the government for money but their approval and total support to hold the bout in Nigeria and if this is done, then, I can singlehandedly (through the bout) get the country not less than $20 million because the Pay Per View revenue will be paid to into the purse of the government.”
The Federal Government had in 2006, 2007, 2014 and May 21, 2019 inaugurated Bash Ali Boxing Project Local Organizing Committee with the office of the Chief of Staff to the President as a member and the Private Sector providing the funds for the historic event. But unfortunately, the event could not hold till date.”
“I would have taken the fight to Saudi Arabia or Germany who are ready to pay €75m but I want to stage the fight in Nigeria because of the love I have for the great nation.”
He said he has been the biggest promoter of boxing in Nigeria since 1987 when he staged his first fight in Nigeria at the Liberty Stadium Ibadan, but struggled in vain to host his Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight in his fatherland.
“My first fight in Nigeria was at Liberty Stadium in 1987 and since then I became the biggest promoter of boxing in Nigeria. Not only do I promote boxing, I also promote wrestling. I have done that for many years sponsoring many of our athletes who are in boxing, wrestling, other sports and music as well.
“I always promote the interest of Nigeria but struggled in vain for 17 years to host in my country, Nigeria, my Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight because I was bold to say no to corruption,” Ali said.
He added that the fight, which is completely private sector driving, would have been held in Nigeria since outside government connection if not that the federal government has committed to it by inaugurating the local organising committee under the chairmanship of Sports Minister in 2019 and directed the Federal Ministry of Sports Development to midwife the process.
“Each of the banks that we are working with, are all regretting now that the federal government inaugurated them because we could have done this on our one without the government. Since the federal government inaugurated the committee and asked the Ministry of Sports to midwife the process together with the banks, it will be immoral for them to start working outside the government that brought them together.
“All the minister has to do is to call for a meeting because he has been mandated to midwife the process but he has refused to do it because I did not cooperate with them to steal Nigeria’s money.”
