Lasun Alagbe
Athony Joshua has gladenned the hearts of many Nigerians again as he defeated Kubrat Pulev in Saturday night showdown.
He shattered Bulgarian Pulev’s six-year unbeaten adventures, knocking him down in round 9 at the SS Arena, Wembley.
Although Joshua is British-Nigerian, he is very proud of his Naija roots.
As a result, the boxer of Remo, Ogun State descent, who thus shares roots with legends such as the Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, music superstar Fela Anikulapo Kuti, theatre wizard Hubert Ogunde, is adored by all and sundry.
This has to be so in the case of Nigeria whose profile in other major sports such as foitball is down.
Joshua’s victory in the caution-soaked match is therefore like a golden Christmas gift to many Nigerians who particularly currently face acute burdens of a harsh economy, alarming insecurity and a generally troubled nationhood.
