Nigerian boxer Aishat Gbadamosi has said she is not disappointed by her controversial defeat at the African Boxing Elite Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, insisting she was born to box.
Gbadamosi lost a disputed 3-1 decision to Algeria’s Douaa Rouaz in the women’s featherweight (54-57kg) category. The result drew disagreement from some spectators, who felt the Nigerian deserved better.
Instead of dwelling on it, she picked up her phone straight after the fight and watched a replay, studying her performance for areas to improve.
She said the championship was only her second international outing, after an earlier one in Ghana, and that representing Nigeria on the continental stage was a privilege.
“This is an experience I will cherish for a very long time. I am not disappointed. I will keep moving forward in my boxing career. I am a boxer, and I was born a boxer,” she said.
Gbadamosi said she would use the exposure to get better and would leave decisions to officials.
“I believe in my ability, and I will take this experience to improve myself. My responsibility is to fight and give my best inside the ring. The technical officials have their own responsibilities,” she explained.
Her reaction came on a day when a second Nigerian was at the centre of a disputed verdict. Abdulramon Abdulwahab lost a 4-1 decision to Egypt’s Hekal Ahmed in the men’s light middleweight (65-70kg) category. Angolan boxers were reported to have questioned the decision at ringside.
Two disputed results on the same day have raised concerns among some observers about the standard of judging at the championship. There is, however, no independently established evidence of wrongdoing by the judges, and the scorecards have not been reviewed.
The Nigeria Boxing Federation has not commented at this time.
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