I want to develop top boxers for Nigeria – Adura

Adura
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Adura Olalehin is arguably one of the best southpaws Nigeria has produced. In this interview with Idris Adesina, the  retired boxer, who is one of the national coaches, speaks about his fights and the sport  in Nigeria

How did you come into boxing?

I started boxing  in the primary school in my town, Ondo,   in Ondo State.  My late  dad,  Lamidi Olalehin,   popularly called Uncle Joe,  discovered my talent for the game and decided to train me.

I was invited to the national team  after participating in a national competition in Makurdi in  1997. The likes of  Segun Ajose, Friday Ahunanya and Samuel Peters were the big names in the competition. After a good performance in the tournament,  the national coach then, Samson  Aransiola,  asked me to report to camp for a tournament in Thailand where  I won bronze.

How did your mother  react when your father was training you to become a boxer?

She  had no option but  to support me. But after my father’s death, her relatives pressurised her  to stop me from   boxing.  I lived with my mother’s sister who wanted to train me to the university level because of the love she had for my father. She tried talking me out of boxing because my education but I refused. I told her that being the first son of my mother, I  wanted  to struggle and make a way for the family.  When the pressure on me  from my mother’s family became unbearable,   I left home in 1995. I travelled to Lagos from Ondo to continue with boxing.  They didn’t know where  I was until my aunt’s friend  saw me in Thailand.

 She told them that I was still alive and  boxing.

Were they happy when you became popular and represented Nigeria?

They were happy when they saw my name in the newspapers. My regret is that  dad could not witness my progress on the national stage.

Did your mother  insist you become a doctor or a  lawyer?

No, she didn’t insist. Like her relatives, she  wanted me to go to school and become something else apart from becoming a boxer.

You won silver at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. How would you describe missing the gold?

Yes, I was disappointed. I was  because many  people watched that fight. One of my brothers   told  me on the telephone  before the fight that  he would be watching on TV  with his friends – and he had boasted that I would win.  It was very painful I lost.

 I was leading my opponent (81kg fight against Scotland’s Kenneth Anderson) and I was sure of winning the bout. It was a tough fight. But unfortunately, I made some tactical mistakes because my coaches didn’t study the opponent very well to direct me in the ring.

You didn’t make it to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India. What happened?

When it was time for the competition, I called  the then Nigeria Boxing Federation  Technical Adviser (Idika Nsofor) from the United States   telling  him that  I was ready  to represent the country in India but he said he did not know me. That was how I was left out of the team.

Can you recall your most  memorable fight?

Ken Anderson of Scotland, who beat me in  the 2006 Commonwealth Games final.  I can also remember my fight with a  tall Tunisian boxer. He beat me twice but I beat him once when we had to qualify for the African team.

What targets have you set for yourself as a coach?

My target is to help move Nigerian boxing to the next level  because I have  seen how it is done in other countries. I know a lot about boxing and I still learn every day. My target is to develop top boxers who can win as many  medals  as possible for the country.

Why is boxing is not as popular as it was in the country?

No sponsorship. The government alone cannot shoulder the sponsorship of the sport. We need to attract sponsors to the sport. We  need to tell the telecommunications  firms  and other companies to support the game in the country. For instance, one of the telecoms companies  is sponsoring  the premier  football league, with  another one  sponsoring  the  basketball league. We can get them to sponsor boxing,  too. We don’t need to depend on government for everything.

We must also  encourage  the boxers and those aspiring to be boxers.  There are many of them around. We only need to get sponsors  to help them realise their dreams. With that, boxing will progress in Nigeria and become more popular.

Would you say you had a fulfilled career?

Yes, I would say I had a fulfilled career. Though I quit the game  at a very young age but I discovered that it was just time to move on and do something else.

You were in the US for eight years. What were you doing?

I was busy fighting.  I was working with my manager and coaches. Stephen Fredericks was my manager and Freddie Roach was one of my coaches. I later left Stephen Fredericks and got another manager.

I had seven fights and I remember that my first fight was against an American.  It was tough but I won. My second fight was in Sacramento, where  I knocked my opponent out in the second round.  My third fight too was via  knockout while  the fourth was won by a 7-5 decision.

It took time before I got my professional licence. That was why I wanted to return to the national team to represent the country at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

 I went for a coaching course in the US after quitting professional boxing.  I represent Adidas in Nigeria.

What is your advice for  up-and-coming Nigerian boxers?

They should be determined and have passion for boxing. My passion helped me. Parents too should learn to support their children in anything they want to do. The young boxers should see themselves as champions and they will make it. They shouldn’t depend on anybody.

 I didn’t want to disappoint my late  father, so I travelled to Lagos for national boxing trials. I stayed with friends at  Ijora and  Aguda. I lived from hand to mouth.  But my friends – Femi Ajayi amd Niyi – as well as their parents were very good to me. In the morning, I would  jog to the stadium to train. I worked with (immediate past national coach)  Obisia Nwankpa.  My coach would tell me, ‘If you don’t want to go to school, you had better make it here because people that go to the  university  achieve something in five years. So, in five years, you too must achieve something.

Source: Punch