The National Sports Commission (NSC), South East zone, said yesterday that it was concluding arrangements to hold the first South East Boxing Championship.
The Zonal Coordinator, Mr Essiet Akpabio said in Enugu that the under-16 championship was aimed at grooming young boxers in the zone.
Akpabio said the measure was part of the efforts to revitalise schools and grassroots sports in the zone.
He said the championship would commence as soon as the logistics were put in place.
“We want to produce world-class boxers from this zone because we have discovered that the people here are good in combat sports,” he said.
The coordinator said the zone, which had produced world-class boxers, had taken the back seat in the sport.
“Our plan now is to develop such activities where the zone has comparative advantage over others, particularly the combat sports.
“The South East is known to have excelled in combat sports due to the physique of the sports men and women in the area.”
Akpabio said the NSC would equally give prominence to other sporting activities like football and athletics.
“We hope to work with the states to realise this vision,” he said.
Akpabio said the NSC had several sports development programmes for the young ones in the zone, but that such were hampered by its lean purse.
“Fund has been a major challenge for sports development in Nigeria because the government has always been alone in this task.
“We, therefore, appeal to corporate organisations and individuals to assist us develop the raw talents in the zone,” he said.
Akpabio also appealed to the government to enact a legislation to make multi-national companies in the country to invest part of their profits in sports development.
