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Published 28 February 2021
Female boxer Bolanle Shogbamu, gold medalist at the 2019 African Games in Morocco, talks about her boxing story and the challenges of sportswomen in Nigeria, in this interview with KELVIN EKERETE
Why
did you decide to choose boxing ahead of other sports?
I loved boxing from a very tender age and despite venturing into other sports, I still found my way back to it. My love for the sport developed when I used to watch boxing movies. I saw several clips of Mohammed Ali and I loved the way he moved. I started boxing at the age of 17 and it’s been fun since then. My stepdad introduced me to a coach, Obanla, in Akure, Ondo State when he saw me watching boxing movies. He asked if I liked to box, I said, ‘yes.’ That’s how I got here.