By: Olarewaju Yussuf
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| Always in a training session |
For those that are familiar with grassroots sports, the sport of boxing in the Bariga area is synonymous with the name, Always. Prince Adekunle Kazeem AKA Always is the head coach of Always Boxing Club, ABC that have consistently brought pride and laurel to the Bariga community through the sport of boxing. The Boxer turned coach had his boxing career shorten due to the perception of people about the sport of boxing in the 90s. His father could not bear to see his son, a prince becoming a boxer as boxers were seen as touts and street urchins.
But, he was determined to make a name for himself in the sport of boxing. He becomes a coach, operating with the name Always Boxing Gym until recently when it was changed to Always Boxing Club. Not only did he trained and produced the best boxers, many of his student have gone ahead to make name for themselves in the game of boxing represent different states of the Nigeria federation. His club regularly features in the Army Sport recruitment and had some of his boxers recruited into the Army Sport. His club also participates in Lagos State Boxing Championship every month. Recently, one of the big boys in Bariga, Kaybee made a returned to the boxing ring. He joined Always Boxing Club to train in readiness for his returned to the ring. He won his returned match flawlessly, a testimony to the coach training skill. He has won Best Coach of the year twice, the last being in 2015.
The clubs organized an annual Boxing event tagged Bariga Boxing Day, which is in the 5th series which was held in May 29th, 2016 in Bariga. The 5th edition was postponed for about 6 months due to financial and security reasons, Commune Magazine spoke with Always on the challenges he encountered and what the people of Shomolu-Bariga, Gbagada and environs should expect from the club.
What happened why did you postponed your Boxing Day Event for so long?
The postponement was due to a lot of logistic issues from finance to venue. In fact, we have printed the posters before the Lagos State Government banned the use of public school premise for social events. We are surprised that sporting activities that bonded our communities were also classified as social events. That was the first show stopper for us. We now have to start searching for a new venue since Shomolu-Bariga did not have any sport grounds; the nearest one is in Gbagada. But, the event is Bariga Boxing Day. How do you host Bariga Boxing Day in Gbagada? So, we were searching for an acceptable and accessible venue because of all the contingents that are coming including the Army Sport, from Morocco. With the help of the community, we secured an opening ground as venue for event.
Then, we have to face raising money again. Don't forget, we don't have corporate sponsors. It is the community that has been providing financial support for us. The meat sellers at Able Oja, Tailors at Odunsi Street and a whole lot of them support us with their five hundred naira, one thousand naira. That was how we are able to organize the boxing show annually. Megasea industries is the only thing close to corporate support we have year in, year out. They are our corporate pillar. So, we scampered to raise new fund, which takes time.
When we are done with fund raising, on the day of the event as reported by your magazine, the cult boys were in their best. For three days preceding the event, the cult boys were fighting for supremacy between themselves.
Public gathering were not allowed, since we are using the street. The police were forced to stop the event. The experience for me was a tough one, with multiple issues to deal with. It was traumatic. It is because the community insisted we must host Bariga Boxing Day, if not I will have surrendered. Well, our effort did not go to waste because despite the rain, the community stood in the rain to urge us on. The crowd was overwhelming.
How did you overcome the initial obstacle?
We went to Bariga LCDA but we received little support for this community project. If it has not being for the community and Companies like Megasea industries, Ray Queen pure water, AY-The Law, Hon. Kola Alabi. In fact the space, we end up using were secured for us by another set of people headed by Baba Balo.
When is the sixth edition coming up and what should the boxing fans in the community expect this time?
The only thing I can promise them is a spectacular show as usual. We have been receiving calls from different areas in Bariga to host the next edition in their community but we are considering the logistics that will be involved if we move it out of our comfort communities. Most importantly is the security implication.
What was your reaction to the death of legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali?
For us, it was a painful exit of an icon. The news of his death is a fatal blow to the sport of boxing. We honour him with a minute silence and did a 15 minutes spanning in his name.
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| Training session with a set of boxers |
Since you no longer have accesses to using public school premises for your training, how have you been coping?
It is extremely difficult. The shutting up of public school premises against grassroots sports is like a death sentence if not for the love and passion that I have for boxing, I will have quite. That particular policy is a death sentence. No playing ground or sport centre in most communities in Lagos state and the only other alternative are the public school premises. And, now those premises had been taken away from us. We are training in abnormal places, we train in my company. We are just managing. However, we implored the Lagos state government to rescind that particular policy especially for local sports. They must reconsider that decision or it will eventually kill grassroots sport.
Is Lagos state Boxing Association aware of this difficulty?We have written to them about the challenge pose by the closing of public schools’ premise to sport use. We have not heard from them.
What about the community leaders?
They are aware too because it is their children, their neighour’s children and the people in their environment that we coach. So when we were organizing Bariga Boxing Day, they were very helpful and supportive. If not for the community support we received, we might not be able to organize the boxing event. Not only did they contribute financially, they also provide solid moral and physical support, which includes legworks. The community provided the venue for the event and the people love it because it was held in a public place.
Did you lose anything by hosting the event on the street?
Not so much, just the financial revenue that could have accrued to us from the gate fee and those we expended for the event. Remember I told you, we first postponed due to closure of public school premises, and then at the second attempt we have to cancel due to insecurity. But, in place of that we have the community goodwill. In all, it was a good outing for us and I am happy because the community took over the event.
