Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has announced plans by his administration to construct a brand new Anthony Joshua Indoor Boxing Ring in the state.
Governor Abiodun also announced that the two-time former world heavyweight boxing champion would light the Gateway Games National Sports Festival torch, which has been postponed to May next year.
The governor made this known on Monday when he hosted the two-time world heavyweight boxing champion in his office.
He said: “I want to openly request that, besides the fact that today we are going to officially confirm you as our sports ambassador, we want to request that you come back to light up the Gateway Sports Festival torch; you will be the one lighting it up.
“We are going to construct a brand-new Anthony Joshua Indoor Boxing Ring, and that boxing ring will be in a stadium here in Abeokuta to ensure that you come home more frequently. Besides the fact that you are now our official sports ambassador, we have decided that we will give you a brand new house in Sagamu.”
The governor added: “We want to plead that you also find ways to support us back home. We believe that we should have tournaments planned leading to the sports festival, and you were expressing how you will participate and what you can do to mentor.
“We leave you to work with our Director-General of the National Sports Commission and the Commissioner for Sports Development on what we can do to ensure that we have activities leading to the sports festival in your boxing arena.
“Proudly, we bid for the National Sports Festival for this year, and we won that bid. The festival was supposed to be in January; however, for some technical reasons, it has been postponed to sometime in May.”
Governor Abiodun further noted that the state is blessed with many talents across music, arts, and sports who are excelling and placing the state on the world map.
He added that the state is extremely proud of Anthony Joshua’s achievements on the world stage, saying that his administration would support his career in every way it can.
Earlier in his remarks, Anthony Joshua noted that he would work towards promoting Ogun State to the rest of the world by showcasing the numerous talents in the state.
