Julius Okorie
A seven-man investigative committee set up by Ghana’s Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams to investigate the tragic death of Nigerian boxer Oluwasegun Olanrewaju, has begun its assignment.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Committee headed by Major (Retd) Amarkai Amarteifio has former Ghana Boxing Authority President Peter Zwennes, and veteran sports journalists Ekow Ansah and Samuel Bartels as members. Other members include Eddie Pappoe, Juliana Addo-Yobo and Martin Engmann.
According to the terms of reference, the committee is to “determine the circumstances leading to the death of the Nigerian boxer Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju at the Bukom Boxing Arena on the 29th of March 2025.”
“Determine whether the organisers or promoters of the boxing match took adequate steps by international standards to prevent the death of the boxer” and also “Determine whether the licensing authorities in Nigeria acted with due diligence and followed procedure in allowing the boxer to accept an international match in Accra according to his qualification and experience.”
Olanrewaju popularly known as ‘Success’ passed away at the Korle-Bu Hospital after collapsing during a bout at the Trust Sports Emporium Boxing Arena at Bukoum last month.
The passing of the Nigerian boxer has sparked major discussions on the health of athletes and adherence to due process.
READ ALSO:Interesting Facts About Gabriel Olanrewaju, Nigerian Boxer Who Died While Fighting In Ghana
The Nigerian Boxing Board of Control has raised serious concerns about the circumstances surrounding Olanrewaju’s death. In a letter, the board highlighted what they described as “negligence on the part of Ghana Boxing Authority.”
The board pointed out several irregularities, including weight differential issues, claiming the boxer was permitted to fight for a light-heavyweight challenge weighing 85kg, which falls in the cruiserweight category. They also alleged that no pre-fight medical was conducted on the boxer during the weigh-in.
The NBBofC equally noted that their release letter approved the fight for March 28, not March 29 when the bout eventually took place, with no communication regarding the date change.An autopsy performed on Olanrewaju has revealed that he died from sudden cardiac arrest during his bout.
Olanrewaju, a former National and West African light-heavyweight champion had an extensive boxing career since making his debut in 2019, competing in 24 professional fights with 13 wins (12 by knockout), nine losses, and two draws.
Other stories that emerged following his demise indicate that the fight leading to his death would have been avoided as it was a last minute decision.
The 40 year old pugilist was said to have taken up the fight with a view to raising money to settle his mounting bills. The said fight was to have fetched him N3million.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
