Nigeria's boxing dreams take a hit after Akintola's early loss

Team Nigeria's chances of winning a boxing medal at the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, took another blow on Saturday night. David Akintola lost in the first round of the men’s 80kg event.

Akintola, seen as one of Nigeria’s best hopes in boxing, was defeated 4-1 by Tanzania’s Yusef Lucasi Changalewa in their Round of 32 match at the SEC Centre.

The Nigerian boxer found it hard to make an impact during the fight. Changalewa controlled the match with quicker combinations, better footwork, and more accurate punches. He hit Akintola with well-timed attacks, keeping him on the defensive for much of the bout.

At the end of the three rounds, the judges scored the fight 4-1 in favor of Changalewa, showing that the Tanzanian was clearly the better fighter that night.

This win moved Changalewa into the Round of 16, where he will meet Kenya’s Robert Okaka. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s boxing hopes are hanging by a thread. The country’s chances for medals in this sport are looking dim after two straight first-round exits.

Akintola is now the third Nigerian boxer to get eliminated in the first round. Ayomide Hassan and Abdulramon Abdulwahab also faced disappointing losses on Friday. Hassan lost 4-0 to Lesotho’s Refiloe Thai in the men’s 70kg Round of 32 bout, ending his chance to compete further.

With three of Nigeria's top boxers already out, Team Nigeria has a tough road ahead to revive their boxing prospects. They need to find a way to keep their hopes of winning medals alive.