Rio Olympics: Boxing: Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba starts with a bang

Nigeria’s sole representative in the boxing event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Efe Ajagba, is through to the quarter-finals.

Ajagba qualified for the quarter-finals in emphatic style as he knocked out Trinidad and Tobago’s Nigel Paul in round one to progress into the last eight.

Ajagba, who told PREMIUM TIMES before going to Rio that his mission was to end the 20-year medal drought that has plagued Nigeria in boxing at the Olympics, will now face Ivan Dychko from Kazakhstan in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

A win for Ajagba against Dychko will see him guaranteed at least a bronze medal.

The last time Nigeria won a medal in boxing at the Olympics was in Atlanta 1996 when Duncan Dokiwari won a bronze medal.

Ajagba, who won bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland and gold at the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville, is hoping to be the next boxer to have an Olympic medal around his neck.

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Tunde Eludini

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini

DOWNLOAD THE PREMIUM TIMES MOBILE APP

Now available on

Premium Times Android mobile application

Premium Times blackberry mobile application

Premium Times windows mobile application

All rights reserved. This material and any other material on this platform may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, written or distributed in full or in part, without written permission from PREMIUM TIMES.