₦airaland Forum

The emergence of Anthony Oluwafemi Joshua as the WBA, IBO and IBF heavyweight champion of the world after defeating his Ukrainian challenger, Wladimir Klitschko, through a technical knockout on Saturday have led to a series of publications as to why the Nigerian-British born was rejected by the Nigerian Boxing Federation in 2008.

While, most Nigerians have condemned the action of the federation, both local and international media like ThisDay, ESPN, Daily Mail, etc have tagged the non-existing trial, rejection.

Anthony Joshua started boxing in 2007, combining boxing training with his bricklaying job. However, in 2008 the now heavyweight champion of the world reached out to the Nigerian Boxing Federation, asking to represent Nigeria in Beijing 2008 Olympic.

In 2008, Anthony Joshua knows he cannot make any Olympic team in the world –that was barely a year after he started boxing training, even nine years later Anthony Joshua is still work in progress and lack footwork and head movement that defines true champions. Perhaps that explained why he didn’t show up for the trial against the likes of Durodola Olanrewaju and Onorede Ohwarieme that represented Nigeria in Beijing 2008.

According to the chief coach of the Nigerian Boxing Federation, Obisia Nwankpa, Anthony Joshua reached out to the association in 2008, and he was invited for trial but came after the national trial had finished.

Even though, he won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic, Tyson Fury and other heavyweight rivals have repeatedly said he was gifted the gold medal because the Olympic was hosted in London and insisted Roberto Cammarelle of Italy beats the world champion in the final.

That was after winning a silver medal at 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan and going through five years world class training in London. Still, his Olympic performance and gold medal has been criticised by experts.

Therefore, Anthony Joshua was not rejected in 2008 by the Nigerian Boxing Federation, neither was he qualified to represent Nigeria in the 2008 Olympic, but rather he was looking for a short-cut to the Olympic without the skillset requires to fight at the Olympic level as at the time.

Nigerians should stop condoning mediocrity and focus on nurturing homegrown talents to compete on the global stage.

http://investorsking.com/anthony-joshua-and-the-nigerian-myth/

mynd44 let people know AJ wasn't rejected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a745nof7L-A

thats why they say: most disappointments are blessings.

because of that disappointment, he had to retract and trained harder in other to move forward.

And guess what, forward he moved and he is now the worlds heavyweight champion.

Food for thoughts: in your lonely time and time of disappointments, bid your time, train, read, prepare yourself in secret, so that when the opportunity presents himself, you will seize the moment.

Is only a fool and a lazy man that thinks opportunity comes once in a life time.

Oh God

Not again!

ok

I can still relate his victory to what :

Anthony be like; Elee wa kpa irawo me
Meaning; You Nigerians cannot come and go and kill my star

I'm I the only one that know the agony of the OP?

Isoryt

Gooooooooood!

@ OP, seems you took some weed before writing this junk, just read through what you wrote:
" he was gifted the gold medal because the Olympic was hosted in London" Says who? Tyson Fury......so that sycophant is now a reliable source you think England is like Nigeria where mediocrity is favoured over professionalism! I pity you.

Amo iru yin, atoko waba ile je.

AJ KEEP EM COMING

The thing still remains the
'Stone the builders rejected can be the main cornerstone tomorrow'.
Nobody knows tomorrow, so treat everyone U meet today well.
The coaches.....them no fit identify talent or train am up ni.

Dont know what to say again

Patiently waiting for NLders to say they are tired of seeing Joshua on FP, like they got tired of BBN

Nice write up op

Good you brought out another side of the story. Kudos.



You too try and beat KLITSCHKO
TRULY AJ
Our Fairy tale
Our Pride.

Please someone should read and summarize for us.



Na Mercy aigbe, Anthony Joshua and Buhari health issue full front page.

SMH.
NBF belittling Joshua's achievements just to paint themselves as saints.

Foolishness in black and white

David Alaba also approched the NFA to join our U17 he was turned back

He wasn't fit to represent Nigeria but was fit to represent Britain...

I guess your findings were flawed!!

we dey speak too much English for this Niger oh Abeg support me #legalise pidgin

ok.. continue dey fight who God don bless

Success has many children

Olasco93:
.

stevebond007:
Good you brought out another side of the story. Kudos.



You too try and beat KLITSCHKO
TRULY AJ
Our Fairy tale
Our National Pride.

Laple0541:
.

tolexy123:
.

BlackDBagba:
ok

BlackDBagba:
ok

The hustle is real

This is so funny

But is this what you would be posting all day??

CokersClub:
I can still relate his victory to what :

LifeIsGuhd:
This is so funny

But is this what you would be posting all day??

Am posting this picture for the next 3months... The Chinese man is indeed wise.