The House of Representatives on Wednesday advised veteran Nigerian boxer, Bash Ali, to pursue private funding initiatives for his long-awaited Guinness World Record Boxing Championship, while urging relevant government agencies to provide regulatory and logistical support within the limits of their statutory responsibilities.

The resolution followed the consideration and adoption of a report presented by the House Committee on Public Petitions, chaired by Mr Kwamoti Bitrus, on a petition filed by the former cruiserweight champion against the National Sports Commission.

Ali, who is seeking to become the oldest boxer in history to fight in a professional championship bout, has spent more than two decades campaigning for the staging of the proposed Guinness World Record fight in Nigeria.

Presenting the committee’s report during plenary, Bitrus said the petitioner alleged acts of sabotage and administrative impediments by officials of the National Sports Commission, which he claimed had frustrated efforts to actualise the historic boxing event.

Following its review of the petition, the committee recommended that Ali proceed with the project strictly as a privately funded venture.

The House subsequently adopted the recommendation that “the petitioner (Bash Ali) should proceed strictly within the framework of a privately-funded initiative and in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements governing sporting events in Nigeria.”

Lawmakers also directed the National Sports Commission to ensure a level playing field in the processing of approvals and other regulatory requirements connected to the proposed championship.

According to the adopted report, “the National Sports Commission should, within its statutory mandate, provide a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory regulatory environment, including timely processing of approvals, access to facilities on standard terms and coordination with relevant agencies for security and logistics.”

The House further urged relevant government institutions to offer non-financial assistance where necessary, while making it clear that such support should not create any financial obligation for the government.

It resolved that “relevant government agencies” should provide “non-financial support such as security, protocol coordination and international liaison, where formally requested and deemed appropriate, without creating financial liability for the government.”

In addition, lawmakers called on the Federal Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Commission to clearly define and communicate the boundaries of government involvement in privately organised international sporting events to avoid future misunderstandings and disputes.

The decision may mark a significant turning point in a project that has remained one of the most enduring and controversial issues in Nigerian sports administration.

Ali, now 70, has been pursuing the proposed Guinness World Record fight since the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Over the years, he repeatedly accused successive governments and sports administrators of frustrating his ambition to stage the bout in Nigeria despite securing endorsements from various local and international stakeholders.

The former World Boxing Federation cruiserweight champion rose to international prominence in the 1980s and remains one of Nigeria’s most recognisable boxing figures. His proposed record-breaking fight is aimed at securing a place in boxing history as the oldest man to compete in a professional championship contest.

While the House stopped short of endorsing direct government financing for the project, its resolution effectively provides a framework under which Ali can continue pursuing the fight through private sponsorship and investment, while receiving the necessary regulatory cooperation from relevant authorities.

For supporters of the veteran boxer, Wednesday’s decision offers renewed hope that a dream that has survived multiple administrations and decades of controversy may yet become a reality. (PUNCH)

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