Nigeria: Boxer dies after collapsing during fight
A Nigerian professional boxer passed away after collapsing during a fight in Accra, Ghana, local media have reported.
Gabriel Oluwasegun "Success" Olanrewaju, a former Nigerian and West African light-heavyweight champion, was fighting Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu in a Ghana Professional Boxing League bout on Saturday.
However, he collapsed onto the ropes in the third round — without having received a punch.
After receiving first aid in the ring at the Bukom Boxing Arena, he was rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital where he was pronounced dead 30 minutes after arrival, the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) confirmed.
"Oluwasegun, a few seconds before the end of round 3, stepped back during the fight and leaned on the ropes with his back without any punch whatsoever from his opponent," read a GBA statement on Sunday.
"The referee, sensing danger, waved his hand for the end of the fight and immediately invited the ringside physician with the support of paramedics from the national ambulance service to attend to the boxer to help resuscitate him."
Was Olanrewaju's fight officially sanctioned?
The GBA insisted that Olanrewaju, 40, had been "declared medically fit by the Nigeria Boxing Board Control (NBBC)" and that it had therefore "sanctioned and approved the international contest."
However, the NBBC told Nigerian newspaper The Punch on Monday that it hadn't approved the ultimately fatal bout, which was reportedly arranged at short notice after Olanrewaju had been judged too heavy to compete in a scheduled fight on Friday.
"[Olanrewaju] got our approval to fight in Ghana, a fight that was proposed to take place on a Friday," NBBC secretary Remi Aboderin told The Punch. "Unfortunately, they did [the] weigh-in on Thursday and he was found to be overweight and they told him the person he was to fight was not his weight."
Was Olanrewaju in debt?
According to Aboderin, Olanrewaju was on his way back to Nigeria and had reached the border between Ghana and Togo when he decided that he couldn't return home empty-handed due to significant debts he had to pay.
"They called the matchmaker, who informed him that there was a fight on Saturday night, but we didn't give him the approval for that," said Aboderin, claiming the GBA got it wrong. "So, he turned back and went back to Ghana because he needed the money; he owed a lot of people money."
Babatunde Ojo, one of Olanrewaju's former coaches, told The Punch that he advised the boxer against fighting on short notice.
"These are the things I advise my boxers against," he said. "You can't just pick a fight at short notice; you need at least one month. I am very saddened by his loss; may his soul rest in peace."
NBBC secretary Aboderin told BBC Sport that Olanrewaju was a "fearless" fighter who died a "ring warrior." He said the federation was "really devastated" by his death and insisted: "We will live up to our responsibility and make sure that we stand [by his] family."
Before his bout with Mbanugu, Olanrewaju had an official record of 23 fights, with 13 victories and eight defeats.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
13-05-2025
- Observer
Atalanta secure CL spot with Roma win
BERGAMO, Italy: A second-half goal by substitute Ibrahim Sulemana earned Atalanta a 2-1 home win over AS Roma in Serie A on Monday, securing Champions League qualification for Gian Piero Gasperini's side. Sulemana sealed the three points for Atalanta in the 76th minute, scoring with a low strike from just outside the area, after Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante cancelled out an early opener by Ademola Lookman. Atalanta, who fell behind in the title race, sit third in the standings on 71 points and have a seven-point cushion over fourth-placed Juventus and Lazio in fifth with two games left to play. Roma, who failed to capitalise on Lazio and Juventus dropping points in a 1-1 stalemate on Saturday, are sixth with 63 points. Atalanta snapped the visitors' impressive unbeaten league run of 19 games, with Claudio Ranieri's side previously having been defeated mid-December at Como. Things started off brightly for Atalanta as Lookman stroked in past Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar to put them in front after nine minutes. Charles De Ketelaere dribbled past the Roma defence to set the Nigerian up with a precise low cross inside the box and the striker controlled the ball to score inside the right post. It was Atalanta's 100th goal this season across all competitions. De Ketelaere had two good chances to double the advantage but Roma midfielder Cristante levelled for the visitors instead, netting with a flicked header after the half-hour mark. Things slowed down significantly after a lively first half until Roma were awarded a penalty after an hour of play, following a clash between Atalanta's Mario Pasalic and Manu Kone. The referee, however, overturned his decision after consulting VAR. Sulemana eventually restored the lead for Atalanta in the 76th minute, scoring with a low strike from just outside the area — a goal that stood after a VAR check for a potential offside. Roma host AC Milan next weekend before visiting mid-table Torino in their bid to qualify for Europe's elite club competition for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. Atalanta travel to Genoa on Sunday before welcoming lowly Parma in their final fixture. — Reuters
Observer
23-04-2025
- Observer
Al Khabourah stun Oman Club; Bahla and Saham shine
MUSCAT, APRIL 23 Al Khabourah clinched an exciting 3-2 win over Oman Club in the round 19 of Omantel League at the Seeb Sports Stadium on Tuesday. The match began with an aggressive approach from Oman Club, aiming for an early goal. However, the game quickly turned into an even contest between both sides. Al Khabourah's best chance in the first half came in the 18th minute when Ahmed al Riyami went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, only to be denied by a brilliant save. This was followed by a dangerous header from captain Rashid al Hosani that went over the bar. On the other end, Mahmood al Hassani missed a clear chance for Oman Club in the 38th minute. Al Khabourah eventually opened the scoring in the 41st minute through Ahmed al Riyami, who capitalised on a defensive error. In the second half, Oman Club quickly got back into the game with an equaliser in the 51st minute, scored by Azan al Tamimi, who followed up a rebound off the goalkeeper. Mohammed Lamine Dia restored Al Khabourah's lead in the 67th minute. However, Daniel Etor brought Oman Club level again in the 78th minute with a well-taken free kick by Mohammed al Maashari. In the dying minutes, substitute Noah al Araimi sealed the win for Al Khabourah, scoring from a defensive scramble inside the box. The referee added five minutes of stoppage time, but no further goals were scored, and the match ended 3-2 in favour of Al Khabourah. With this victory, Al Khabourah raised their tally to 25 points and climbed to fifth place in the standings, while Oman Club remained at 35 points in third place, suffering a significant blow in the title race. SAHAM HOLD AL NAHDA Saham started strongly and opened the scoring in the ninth minute through their Nigerian professional Adeniji Babatunde. Al Nahda responded with an equaliser by Harib al Saadi in the 36th minute, ending the first half at 1-1. In the second half, Al Hajj Malik gave Al Nahda the lead in the 49th minute, but Saham fought back and equalised through Bassam al Saadi in the 78th minute, with both teams sharing the spoils. With this result, Al Nahda moved to 40 points in second place, missing a chance to close the gap on league leaders Seeb. Meanwhile, Saham reached 22 points and sit in seventh place. BAHLA EDGE AL RUSTAQ Bahla secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Al Rustaq at the Al Rustaq Sports Complex. The lone goal came from Bahla's Loke Vimke. With this win, Bahla moved up to 22 points, escaping the relegation zone and climbing to ninth place. Al Rustaq, on the other hand, remained at 20 points and fell back into the danger zone, sharing the same points total with Ibri but holding 10th place on goal difference.
Observer
17-04-2025
- Observer
Al Rustaq triumph over Sur in OL
Muscat: Al Rustaq claimed a precious 1-0 victory over Sur, as part of the 18th round of the Omantel League on Tuesday. Al Rustaq dominated most of the first half and threatened Sur's goal with several attempts from Laith al Adawi and Ernest. The breakthrough came in the 36th minute when Al Adawi scored with a header following a precise cross from Ernest. Sur attempted to respond through counter-attacks but lacked effectiveness, ending the first half with Al Rustaq in the lead. In the second half, both teams continued to press ahead. Sur had a notable chance in the 55th minute, and Al Rustaq responded with a shot over the bar in the 60th minute. Both coaches made substitutions to bolster their attacks. Abdullah al Mushaikhi and Aysar al Alawi stood out for Sur but couldn't change the result. The match ended with Al Rustaq taking all three points. With this win, Al Rustaq raised their tally to 20 points, moving up to eighth place and distancing themselves from relegation danger. Sur remained on 13 points, remaining among the favourites for relegation. Sohar and Al Khabourah players fight for the ball. SOHAR, AL KHABOURAH SHARE POINTS Sohar and Al Khabourah played to a 1-1 draw at Al Rustaq Sports Complex as part of the Omantel League. The first half saw a moderate level of play with both sides attempting to break the deadlock. The best chances came from a long-range effort by Mohsin Jawhar that sailed over the crossbar in the ninth minute, and a dangerous header from Rashid al Hosani that was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Fayez al Rushaidi in the 25th minute. Despite Al Khabourah's relative dominance in aerial balls, Sohar opened the scoring in the 41st minute through Saud al Muqbali, who finished from a cross, ending the half 1-0 in Sohar's favour. Al Khabourah came out strongly in the second half and pressed for an equaliser, which came in the 51st minute via a header from Mohammed Lami off a cross. Both teams continued to trade attacks, but neither could secure the win, even with six minutes of added time, ending the game in a 1-1 draw. Sohar's draw brings them to 18 points, slipping to 11th place, while Al Khabourah climb to 22 points in fifth place. SAHAM, IBRI DRAW 2-2 Saham and Ibri battled to a 2-2 draw at the Sur Sports Complex. Ibri had a slight upper hand in the first half and scored an early goal in the ninth minute through Yousef al Khalili. They maintained their lead into half-time. In the second half, Saham responded strongly. Nigerian striker Adeniji Babatunde equalised in the 48th minute and scored again in the 72nd to give Saham a 2-1 lead. However, Ibri reacted quickly and levelled the score just two minutes later with a goal by Viston Abdul. The draw puts Saham at 21 points in sixth place, while Ibri climb to 20 points in ninth place.
