Efe Wesley Apochi- I Will Conquer The World

Bronze medalist at the last Commonwealth Games and current national champion in 91kg, Efetobor Apochi, in this interview with Chibuike Chukwu at the Kenneth Minimah National Boxing Championship, said he is at the championship to defend his title. He also talked about his plan for the All Africa Games and the Rio Olympics. Excerpt

Tell us about your achievements in boxing so far

I won the National Sports Festival in 2011 and that marked my coming into boxing limelight. I became the national champion in 91kg. Since then, I have been the national champion. Consequently, at this championship, everybody is out for me.

Taking about this championship, what are your expectations?

I just want to defend my title and prove to everybody that I am the national champion. That is what I’m going to do. I don’t have a choice; I’m just going to beat everybody.

Who among these boxers here do you think pose a threat to you?

You never can tell; surprises are the names of the game. But there is this Lagos boxing champion, who is very strong and he is fast coming up. Every time he keeps telling me that he will beat me, but I keep telling him that when I’m done with the Nigerian boxing scene, then he can come up.

In this championship, I’m going to show them what they have not seeing in boxing in Nigeria. That is the current system, they call it ‘You can’t touch me’; that is exactly what I’m going to do here.

Do you think this championship will throw up good boxers that will represent Nigeria at the All Africa Games?

Actually, it will because they (Boxing Federation) said they are going to make three teams available from this national championship. They also said they are going to take the three best boxers in every category and that they (the boxers) will immediately proceed to camp, where the best will be picked for the All Africa Games. I think it is the right step to bring out the best from Nigerian boxers.

Before this championship, how has the preparation of boxers for major events been in Nigeria?

Nigerian boxers don’t train; in fact boxing was almost dying in the country. Thanks to the Nigeria Boxing Federation President, Kenneth Minimah, for coming up with this championship. He is the one bringing boxing back to life. This kind of opportunity he has presented to boxers has not been seen before.  He has shown what he is capable of doing for Nigerian boxing. I urge everybody to give him the needed support for him to do more for the sport.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

I hope to turn full professional in the next five years. I have been to world championship but I didn’t get a medal. I was supposed to be at the London Olympics, but I broke my hand. I was in the last All Africa Games and I got a silver medal. In the last Commonwealth Games, I got a bronze medal. This year, I will participate at the world championship and I will win big for Nigeria.

I’m going to take the boxing world by storm, starting first from the cruiserweight. My plan is to show the boxing world what it has not seen before. This boxing is a revelation from God; I didn’t wake up one day and started it. He will take me somewhere and I’m really going to 

conquer the world.

Source: Daily Independence