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Nigeria’s Last Boxing Hope, Adam Olaore, Falls in Round of 16, Ending Olympic Campaign

Written by Jerry Alomatu on July 29, 2024

News Views: 261

Nigeria’s last contender in the boxing event of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Adam Olaore, was defeated by Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay on Sunday, exiting the men’s 92 kg heavyweight category in the round of 16, Punch reports.

Olaore, who became Nigeria’s sole representative after Cynthia Ogunsemilore’s disqualification due to a failed doping test, was outperformed in a one-sided match at the North Paris Arena. The Nigerian boxer lost all three rounds, with all five judges scoring in favor of Oralbay, who dominated from the start. The final scorecard was 30-26.

Oralbay, the 2022 Asian champion, asserted his dominance early in the bout, knocking Olaore down towards the end of the first round, which he won 10-5. The Kazakh continued his strong performance in the subsequent rounds, landing decisive shots to secure a unanimous 5-0 decision.

This defeat concludes Nigeria’s boxing campaign at the Paris Olympics, extending the country’s medal drought in the sport since Duncan Dokiwari’s bronze medal in the super heavyweight division at the Atlanta ’96 Games.

Olaore’s exit is particularly disheartening given the high expectations surrounding the 22-year-old. In an exclusive interview earlier this year, the Lagos-born boxer had expressed his ambition to “return from the Olympics with gold.”

Having started his boxing career at 14 in the United Kingdom, Olaore was seen as a potential medalist, especially after the withdrawal of Dolapo Omole due to injury and Ogunsemilore’s doping suspension.

The defeat also reflects a broader issue as African boxers face challenges in the Olympic tournament, with only 20 remaining following the elimination of Egypt’s bantamweight Yomna Ayyad and Ogunsemilore’s suspension.

The Nigeria Boxing Federation now faces the task of rebuilding and addressing the country’s 28-year medal drought in Olympic boxing ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.