OWERRI – A former Commonwealth Bantamweight champion, Eddie Ndukwu, 64, who died on Sept. 23, would be accorded state burial when the family fixed his funeral, a top Imo State Government official has said.
The Secretary of Imo State Sports Council, Ngozi Anyanwu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri on Tuesday that the death of Ndukwu was a great loss to the state and country.
According to her, the history of boxing cannot be complete without a mention of late Ndukwu, widely known in boxing circle as `Terror’.
The late Ndukwu, who hailed from Mbaitoli Local Government Area in Imo, retired as a deputy director in the state’s sports council.
Anyanwu said the Imo government would participate actively in burial ceremonies because the late boxer won many laurels for the state and nation.
“He was a pride to Imo. We will do everything possible to show concern at his burial as our last respect to his memory.’’
Anyanwu urged the Federal Government to also actively participate in the funeral because of his contributions to growth and development of boxing. [eap_ad_1] A former African Wrestling champion, Austin Atasie, in a tribute said the problem of the nation was that they never honour heroes when they were alive, only to mourn them when they had died.
“Ndukwu’s burial should rightly be the concern of Federal Government because the boxer used his talent to promote the integrity of the country,” he said.
Ndukwu, who was born on June 1, 1950, had a total of 16 professional fights, out of which he won 14; 10 were via a knockout. He suffered only two losses through knockout.
Before he turned professional, Ndukwu fought in three weight categories — the bantam, super bantam and featherweight in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
He won a gold medal in the bantamweight category at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, staged in Kingston, Jamaica. (NAN)
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