Ms Edna Bola Aiyegbeni has an amazing background, along with an inspiring story. Apart from being the eldest daughter of Chief Francis Aiyegbeni, the late founder of the defunct D'Rovans Hotel in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, she is a woman thriving in the sector that is generally presumed to be male-dominated-the sports business.
Edna is the energetic and vivacious woman behind Francis Aiyegbeni Boxing Club, an organization she founded in memory of her father.
Late Aiyegbeni in his lifetime was a renowned businessman whose business interests cut across hospitality, real estate, entertainment and sports. He himself was a great boxer and a big time boxing promoter.
Those who are familiar with his story with tell you about Francis Aiyegbeni Boxing Promotion back then. He promoted quite a good number of Nigerian boxers including Bash Ali, the famous former world cruiserweight champion.
Aiyegbeni hosted and promoted a number of national title fights during his time, one of which was the national heavyweight title fight between the 1992 silver Olympic medallist, Richard Igbinegu and Abiodun Adewale, a.k.a Abbey Tiger on March 29, 2003, which the former won via a fifth round knock out.
In fact Aiyegbeni was not just a businessman, he was many things rolled into one. An engineer, a philanthropist, a highlife musician and more. He was the founder and leader of the highly versatile D’rovans Band in those days.
The Esan, Edo State-born Aiyegbeni lived an impactful life, contributing to Nigerian entertainment industry and prompting boxing till he breathed his last on May 7, 2016 at 69.
Now Edna Aiyegbeni has taken after her father in boxing promotion through Francis Aiyegbeni Boxing Club. She's the only one out of Chief Aiyegbeni's children who hàs chosen that path. The athletic traits run in her veins. But as athletic as Edna may dress or appear at any time, one thing that will attract you towards her is her pleasant smile and style sense. She is one woman that can not be rubbed off fashion wise.
The London-based Edna is in her fifties. She has been living in UK for the past two decades now but shuttles between London and Nigeria. She established the Francis Aiyegbeni Boxing Club in memory of her late Dad and have been funding and sponsoring boxers, male and female in both professional and amateur categories of boxing.
Aiyegbeni Boxing Club had produced notable boxers that have won National, Continental and World Belt.
Among them are Ridwan Scorpion Oyekola who won National Belt & World Boxing Federation (WBF) Belt in 2020 at Ilaji Sports Resort. He's presently based in Japan; Rasheed 'ID Burster' Idowu who just recently won United Boxing Organization UBO belt in Ghana, and Habeeb 'IGE' Oladejo who died last year after becoming a national champion in Bantamweight category.
Comments
Post a Comment