Nigerian Boxers Set To Go For Training In Canada

By Doreen Ogboku

Baring any unforseen circumstances, the Nigerian Boxing Federation (NBF) backed by the National Sports Commission (NSC), has concluded arrangement to send some boxers for a Gym training tour and two boxing tournaments in Canada ostensibly in preparation for the Commonwealth games coming up in the second half of 2026 in Scotland.

The training and tournament tour is at the invitation of Legacy Boxing Club in Calgary, Canada.

Speaking with newsmen on Monday, the National Head Coach, Mr. Gift Otuonye Nsirim (an Olympian), selected along with Assistant National Coach, Tonye Agedah to lead the boxers on the tour, hinted that the idea of traveling to Canada for the training was because of the availability of state of the art training equipment in various sports centres in the country.

He added that though, Nigeria as a country has good professional and upcoming boxers the country can be proud of, yet the inadequacy and unavailability of world standard boxing equipment in the country’s sports facilities has continued to pose a huge challenge during international competitions.

“Therefore, it is not out of place for us to take our young boxers who are eager to make their mark in the global boxing arena to such a country like Canada that has history of availability of sophisticated boxing equipment,” he remarked.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games (XXIII Commonwealth Games) will be hosted in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2, 2026, featuring a streamlined, 11-day, 10-sport programme across four major venues.

This event, often referred to as Glasgow 2026, replaces the original Victoria, Australia host plan, focusing on sustainability with no athletes’ village.

It is hoped that the Nigerian boxing team during the four weeks gym training tour would immensely benefit from the encounter with the Canadian local boxers who expectedly too stand to acquire some professional tactics and strategies from the Nigerian team.