By Barth Ikiebe
The family of Edo State born world Amateur Boxing Champion, late Davidson Andeh, has appealed for assistance, despite assurances by the government to support them.
Sources close to the wife of the legend, Annette and Children, DJ and Mascott, told newsmen in Benin that it’s a case of outright neglect and abandonment by the sporting bodies both at State and Federal levels since 2014.
The family is using this opportunity to appeal to the various institutions and agencies to come to their aid so that the Labour of their fallen hero will not be in vain.
“We call on the Edo State and the Federal government to support us in whatever way possible to live a comfortable life. Life has been very tough since the demise of our hero, the world Amateur Boxing Champion, Davidson Andeh, who put Nigeria on the global stage since 1970’s.
Today, he is remembered as a national Sports hero while his family is left to wallow in penury and squalor.
“During his reign he was the eye of boxing in Nigeria. In 1978, the world was watching Belgrade, Yugoslavia, when a son of Edo State stepped into the ring for Nigeria at 60kg Lightweight”.
- Beat James Ochaya
- Beat Ace Rusevski
- Beat Daniel Londas
- Beat Rene Weller [West Germany]
- Beat Vladimir Sorokin [USSR] – to win WORLD GOLD_
[Uganda][Yugoslavia][France].
Davidson Andeh won the African Lightweight Champion in 1983 and thereafter retired in 1987.
He was a Nigerian former amateur and professional boxer, best known as one of Nigeria’s greatest boxing trailblazers.
Major Achievements:
- 1978 AIBA World Amateur Boxing Champion.
- Won Gold in Featherweight at the World Championships in Belgrade and Yugoslavia.
He became the first Nigerian and first African to win a World Amateur Boxing title.
Represented Nigeria in the featherweight division.
Turned pro after his amateur success. Fought mainly in the featherweight/lightweight divisions in the late 70s and 80s.
Late Andeh paved the way for Nigerian boxing on the world stage. Before him, Nigeria had Olympic medalists like Nojim Maiyegun, but Andeh was the first to win a world amateur title.
He’s often mentioned alongside Nigerian boxing legends like Dick Tiger and Hogan “Kid” Bassey as someone who inspired the next generation of fighters.
Davidson Andeh (the wonder boy), who was the world boxing champion in the light weight division, died on July 7th, 2014.
