Boxing: Ghana sets up panel over Olanrewaju’s death

Ghana’s Sports Minister, Hon. Kofi Adams, has inaugurated a seven-member committee of inquiry to investigate the tragic death of Nigerian boxer, Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju.

The committee, which includes former Ghana Boxing Authority President, Peter Zwennes, aims to probe the circumstances surrounding Olanrewaju’s tragic collapse during his bout at the Bukom Boxing Arena, Accra on March 29, 2025, against home boy, Jonathan Mbanugu.

The former National and West Africa light-heavyweight, champion, Olanrewaju, who collapsed in the third round of the eighth-round bout, was later pronounced dead at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

The committee has 21 days to submit its report.

An autopsy preliminary report released last week, claimed that the 40-year-old Nigerian boxer fondly called ‘Success’ with 13-8-2 record including 12KOs, before the fight, died from sudden cardiac arrest.

Meanwhile, as a result of the sad incident, Olanrewaju’s last opponent, Mbanugu, is also considering retirement from boxing, as his mother opposed the continuation of the boxing career of the young Ghanaian called ‘Power’.
“Mbanugu’s mother told her son to quit boxing after Olanrewaju’s sad demise. She has been crying ever since the incident went viral,” the manager of the Ghanaian boxer, Gordon also known as Osebor, said in an interview with a local online news medium in ‘Ga’ translated into English.

He added: “I have consulted experts to psyche Mbanugu up else, he might end up quitting boxing. I hope he overcomes this trauma.”