The Nigeria Boxing Federation has announced the adoption of the newly approved World Boxing weight categories for the forthcoming 22nd National Sports Festival scheduled to be held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In a competition advisory issued to all concerned stakeholders, the federation clarified that as an affiliate of the IOC-recognised World Boxing, it is bound by the statutes and regulations of the International Federation.
“This is to inform you that the Nigeria Boxing Federation, as an affiliate of the IOC-recognized World Boxing, is duly bound by the statutes and regulations of the International Federation,” the advisory read in part.
The clarification comes after several state coaches, including Niger State Boxing Head Coach Ismail Raji, expressed confusion over which weight categories would be used for the Sports Festival after presenting the two differing categories in a message directed to Secretary General Olalekan Faseesin.
“Please, kindly make the clarification on these two weight categories tables sir. Which one are we using at the forthcoming NSFs at Ogun State? The majority of state coaches are confused because the registration portal will soon open,” Coach Raji inquired.
According to the new weight categories that have been implemented from January 1, 2025, the men’s division will feature 10 categories ranging from Flyweight (47-50kg) to Super Heavyweight (90kg+), while the women’s division will also have 10 categories from Light Flyweight (45-48kg) to Heavyweight (80kg+).
The federation further instructed all participating states to obtain their new Blue Cards from the NBF Secretariat in preparation for the Sports Festival.
“Kindly note that this advisory supersedes all previous communications on this matter. Furthermore, all participating states are requested to obtain their new Blue Card from the NBF Secretariat in preparation for the 22nd National Sports Festival,” the statement added.
The competition format for the Sports Festival will allow each state to enter one male boxer in each of the 13 men’s weight categories and one female boxer in each of the 12 women’s categories, with a maximum of 13 male entries and 12 female entries per state.
Faseesin, who signed the advisory, provided his contact number for further inquiries, encouraging stakeholders to reach out with any questions regarding the implementation of the new weight categories.
With the registration portal for the National Sports Festival expected to open soon, the clarification aims to ensure all states prepare their boxers according to the standardised weight categories recognised by the global governing body.
