Dreams, they say, hardly die. However, while many have given up on their dreams or even died with them, former World Boxing Federation Cruiserweight Champion, Bashiru Lawrence Ali, popularly known as Bash Ali, has said that no amount of frustration and corruption will made him to give up on his dream of becoming the Guinness World Record Boxing Champion.
Bash Ali, who won the World Boxing Federation (WBF) cruiserweight title in 1985 and was known for his powerful punches and aggressive fighting style during his active day in the ring, make the vow while addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday about the challenges he faced for 17 years in his efforts to host his Guinness World Record Boxing Championship fight in Nigeria, highlighting his unwavering stance against corruption.
He said he has been the biggest promoter of boxing in Nigeria since 1987 when he staged his first fight in Nigeria at the Liberty Stadium Ibadan, but struggled in vain to host his Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight in his fatherland.
“My first fight in Nigeria was at Liberty Stadium in 1987 and since then I became the biggest promoter of boxing in Nigeria. Not only do I promote boxing, I also promote wrestling. I have done that for many years sponsoring many of our athletes who are in boxing, wrestling, other sports and music as well.
“I always promote the interest of Nigeria but struggled in vain for 17 years to host in my country, Nigeria, my Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight because I was bold to say no to corruption,” Ali said.
The 68-year-old legendary boxer said he had an offer of €75m to stage the fight in Germany or Saudi Arabia but turned it down because of his desire to excel in his home country and inspire the young Nigerians.
He added that the fight, which is completely private sector driving, would have been held in Nigeria since outside government connection if not that the federal government has committed to it by inaugurating the local organising committee under the chairmanship of Sports Minister in 2019 and directed the Federal Ministry of Sports Development to midwife the process.
“Each of the banks that we are working with, are all regretting now that the federal government inaugurated them because we could have done this on our one without the government. Since the federal government inaugurated the committee and asked the Ministry of Sports to midwife the process together with the banks, it will be immoral for them to start working outside the government that brought them together.
“All the minister has to do is to call for a meeting because he has been mandated to midwife the process but he has refused to do it because I did not cooperate with them to steal Nigeria’s money.”
