The history of sports in Nigeria is filled with outstanding sportsmen and women who rendered meritorious services to the country. They didn’t just represent the country, they also won laurels and were in turn rewarded in cash and kind. Unfortunately, some of the legends’ lives most times end in abject poverty due to post-retirement challenges.
There is hardly a time some retired Nigerian athletes are not calling on the government and public-spirited individuals to come to their aid for medical attention; and in worst cases, burial, as has been the case in recent times.
This unfortunate development has continued to generate debate among Nigerians, who express divergent opinions on the matter, with some arguing that the government, and by extension, Nigerians, are not indebted to the former athletes.
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Not long ago, the death and burial of a former Nigerian international, Peter Rufai, was enmeshed in so much controversy when the family accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the Lagos State Government and other sports authorities of abandoning their son.
The allegation didn’t go down well with some Nigerians, who said it was another display of entitlement mentality, which they said was common among retired athletes in the country.
At the moment, the family of the late legendary boxer and former national boxing coach, Obisia Nwankpa, is making passionate appeals to friends and relatives for money to enable them convey the body of their father from Lagos to their Okpulukwu Umosu village in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State for burial.
Life and death of the legendary boxer
Born on June 14, 1949 in Lagos, Nwankpa was a celebrated African boxing champion and Nigeria’s national boxing coach who was nicknamed the ‘Golden Gloves.’
Widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s greatest boxers, he was a major figure from 1970 to 1980, largely regarded as the golden era of Nigerian boxing.
He represented Nigeria at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich in the light-welterweight category, where he lost his opening match to Laudiel Negrón of Puerto Rico.
Nwankpa, however, won gold at the 1973 All-Africa Games held in Lagos in the light-welterweight division. He also won gold at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games held in Christchurch, New Zealand in the light-welterweight category, when he defeated one Anthony Martey of Ghana in the final.
He had a total of 29 professional fights during his reign, winning 23, out of which 16 were by knockout. He lost only six fights.
The titles he held include Nigerian Lightweight Champion, African Boxing Union (ABU) Lightweight, as well as the Commonwealth Lightweight Champion.
One outstanding and memorable fight, which is still being talked about, is the World Boxing Council (WBC) Light-Welterweight world title fight against Saoul Mamby of USA, which he lost by a split decision. The fight was held in Nigeria at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos in 1982.
After retiring from active boxing, Obisia became the national boxing coach. During the time, he led Nigeria’s boxing teams to major international competitions, including the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In his later years, Nwankpa suffered from dementia, memory loss and other health challenges, which led to his death in Lagos, where he was born.
The ‘Golden Golves’ died on June 3, 2025 at age 75 after protracted illnesses.
A cry for help
Five months after his death, the family of Nwankpa is still struggling to raise money to give him a befitting burial.
Speaking with journalists during her visit to Calabar, the deceased’s wife, Madam Franca Obisia Nwankpa, lamented that she and the entire family were feeling as if the corpse of the legend had been abandoned in Lagos because their passionate appeals to the federal government, the Nigeria Olympics Committee, the Boxing Federation and other relevant bodies, had not yielded the desired result.
According to the embattled widow, the family has fixed a date in November for the burial to be held in Okpulukwu Umosu village of Abia State but help is still elusive.
‘For God’s sake, Obisia actively spent over 40 years promoting boxing all over Nigeria. Should they abandon him now at his greatest point of need? I wrote to them officially about his passing. It is heartbreaking that they have been unresponsive towards his burial,’ she lamented.
She also said it was necessary to solicit for public assistance because the family had spent over N9 million in hospitals across Lagos and beyond before her husband passed on, leaving them completely drained.
According to her, the mortuary bill has already risen to nearly N2 million while the overall funeral expenses remain far beyond family means.
‘The sickness exhausted everything we had. Now, even the burial has become impossible.
‘His body has been in the mortuary for five months. And I can’t afford to continue paying the bills or transport him home for burial,’ she added.
A glimmer of hope
Madam Nwankpa said that in a last ditch effort, she reached out to her husband’s state government, which is Abia State, for help.
‘I have been travelling to Umuahia at a great cost, meeting with the commissioner and director of sports. They promised to reach Governor Alex Otti, who is known for compassion. I am pleading with him to intervene.
‘I have some hope that they won’t neglect their son, who in his active days worked at the national level and brought fame and honour to his home state.
‘All I ask for is help to give him a dignified farewell,’ she pleaded.
When contacted by our correspondent, the director of sports in Abia State, Mr George Obioma, said it was very shameful, annoying and unfortunate that the federal sports authorities could neglect a hero like Obisia Nwankpa, who spent a large part of his active years working and promoting boxing at the national level.
‘Well, Mrs Nwankpa came to us some time last month to appeal for state intervention after she had contacted the sports authorities at the national level without success.
‘From my end, alongside the commissioner for sports and youth development, we are working, although Obisia worked for several decades for Nigeria, which ought to handle this funeral.
‘It is painful and shameful that the federal authorities can abandon one who invested all his time in boxing to bring honour to the country.
‘We have, however, done our part. We believe and trust that Governor Alex Otti will give his attention to our proposal before next month when the burial will be held,’ Obioma said.
NSC promises to support Nwankpa’s burial
In a related development, the chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Malam Shehu Dikko, in a chat with Weekend Trust Sports, said support would be given to the family towards the burial of the boxing legend.
‘Well, she (Obisia’s wife) has been in contact with me and we would consider that, either on official basis or my personal capacity as we do for several others,’ he assured.