Bash Ali’s dream fight suffers fresh setback

The dream of Nigerian boxing
legend Bash Ali to stage his
dream ‘World Guinness Book
of Record fight’ at over 60 has suffered
a fresh setback with the sports minis-
try declaring that there is no presi-
dential approval for it to take place.
The ministry in a release made avail-
able to Catholic Herald stated that
Bash erred by going public that the
presidency has endorsed the bout.
The ministry disclosed that her legal
department has since written the Edo
born boxer to put the records straight.
The sports ministry’s release stated
in part… “The Ministry of Youth and
Sports Development, through its Le-
gal Department, has written to boxer
Bash Ali to desist from peddling false
claims about a non-existent approval
from the office of the Minister to em-
bark on a world fight, reiterating that
no such approval was given by the
President, contrary to claims by the
boxer that the approval was conveyed
to him by office of the Minister.”
The letter dated Monday January 7,
2020 and signed by the Director Legal
Services of the Ministry, Barrister
D.A. Muhammad further reads:
“It is to be recalled that on the 4th of
November, 2019 a meeting was held
between the Ministry and yourself in
the company of Director Legal and
other senior staff of the Ministry,
wherein the Ministry was categorical
about not entering into any meaning-
ful discussion with you in relation to
the Guinness Record Fight until the
litigation between you and the Minis-
try is amicably sorted out.
“It is in this regard that this Ministry
is surprised to note your manipula-
tion of information to the effect that
approval has been granted you to
carry out the World Guinness Record
Fight. I am accordingly therefore, by
this letter, directed to convey that no
approval whatsoever was granted you
by Mr. President or the Ministry, and
it will be in your overall interest to
issue another letter stating the factual
situation that took place between the
office of the Honourable Minister
and your good self on the said date in
order for us to make further progress
on the said matter.”