Commonwealth Games: Okorodudu blames technical crew for boxing failure

Jerry Okorodudu, an Olympian, on Wednesday, blamed the technical crew for the dismal performance of the nation’s boxers at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Okorodudu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the boxers lacked the required technical input that would have enhanced their performance in the boxing event.

“The boxers fought according to the training they got from the technical crew, and without mincing words, the technical crew was not abreast of the current trends in the sport.

“It is so sad that no medal was recorded for Nigeria in the boxing event to register our participation in the 2018 Commonwealth Games,” he said.

The 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games Middleweight bronze medalist, declared that if he had been part of the technical crew, the training would have been done differently.

“I saw this failure coming which I declared, but it was seen from an angle of a biased mind because I was not put in the picture.

“However, it was a good experience for the boxers.

“The event has afforded them the opportunity to gain the needed exposure and most importantly on the use of modern devices and competition rules, which will help their career,” he said.

Okorodudu, who represented Nigeria at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, said that the authorities should strive to do better in subsequent competitions.