74-Year-Old Boxing Legend, Obisia Nwankpa, Battling With Dementia
LAGOS OCTOBER 7TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Former African and Commonwealth boxing champion, Obisia Nwankpa, is battling dementia according to his family.
The boxing legend, in an online video, caught a pitiful sight when he made a courageous appearance at the National Gym, Surulere, Lagos, on Thursday, September 26 accompanied by his wife, Mrs Franca Nwankpa and his daughter, Elizabeth.
The former African Boxing Union (ABU) light welterweight champion, hit the headlines as a professional boxer when he lost to American Saoul Mamby in the World Boxing Council (WBC) light welterweight title fight in 1981 in Lagos by a split decision.
For two decades, Nwankpa was a household name in Nigerian sports given his exploits in both amateur and professional boxing.
At the 1972 Munich summer Olympics, Nwankpa represented Nigeria in the light-welterweight category, and won the gold at the 2nd All Africa Games held in Lagos in 1973.
He also won the gold for Nigeria in the light welterweight at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The 74-year-old former Nigeria lightweight champion, it will be recalled, coached the national boxing team to the 2004 and 2008 Olympics apart from other major international championships.
During his appearance at the gym of the National Stadium, Lagos, the condition of Nwankpa was evident as he has become a shadow of his former self.
His daughter shed light on the state of health of the man fondly called the Golden Gloves.
“He’s not mentally okay at the moment, he has dementia and has been experiencing significant memory loss. He can’t identify people or remember anything.
“Also, he can’t walk very well, he can only walk gradually,” Elizabeth said.
One of the Nigerian boxing chiefs, Mr Laguda Babatunde, who witnessed Nwankpa’s visit to the National Stadium, extolled the achievements of the Abia State-born sporting hero.
“Mr Obisia Nwankpa has made invaluable contributions to Nigerian boxing. As a Commonwealth, All Africa champion, and Olympian, he made his mark in boxing. He’s also a former national head coach who has produced numerous talented boxers for the country,” Laguda said.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Mrs Franca Nwankpa on Saturday, she traced the genesis of his better half’s predicament.
“His health challenge started two years ago when he had a stroke. We sought medication and he was able to recover from it, but after this, he started experiencing dementia last year.
“He can only walk gradually. We have gone to several hospitals and yet there is no cure. I’m a salary earner, but I thank God that we live as a happy family. Whenever he recovers, the ailment will relapse after two months. I don’t mind if we can fly him out to the UK. Maybe that would help him to overcome this ailment.
“The visit to the National Stadium gym helped a lot because when we were taking him out of the gym, he protested that we should allow him to stay. He was happy at the gym, his mood changed as soon as we entered the place.
“In fact, he was able to recognise people there, especially boxers and even called some of them by their names. You know the Stadium gym is where he trains his boxers then. People were calling him with his nicknames and he gladly responded. Some were even crying over his condition. We were surprised too that he could identify people because he wasn’t doing that at home.
He will call Segun Sege and all that. When one of them said ‘Obike’, he even nodded in appreciation. It was a relief for us seeing him in that good mood. We bought the wheelchair so as to ease his movement around and not that he can’t walk again.
“I only pray for divine intervention. His condition is very pathetic because at times, he will be so aggressive for people to handle. You can’t stand him when he is angry.
“There was a time he wanted to look for a job after retired from service. He said he was bored staying at home doing nothing, but I didn’t support the idea. I used to tell him, “What did boxing give you all along? I mean he suffered a lot because he was always attacked by armed robbers after making money. So, I always tell him to stay at home and eat, you have worked at the time you ought to.
“At times, they will rob us on the way from the airport, on the road and all that and people will not know this. They will ask how he spent the money he made in boxing?
“I thank God that he is alive up till today. As I’m speaking with you, he is on admission because we took him to hospital [in Lagos] last night when we noticed that his condition called for it. The grace of God has kept him going, and He will see him through this challenge. He is not begging to feed. May God answer my prayer for him, it’s well,” Franca told Sporting Tribune by phone.
Sporting Tribune
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Posted by News Rangers
on Oct 7 2024. Filed under National, Sports.
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