Ezekiel Adamu – The man who is changing the face of African boxing

Africa is a continent which has provided the world with elite sporting athletes and moments which have stood the test of time. The likes of Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure have put Africa on the map.

Francis Ngannou, Kamaru Usman and Israel Adenya have built a ferocious legacy as the three kings of the UFC, but what about boxing?

Well, when Hasim Rahman famously rocked the world against former unified world heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis in Brakpan, South Africa, the world stood still in awe of the thunder in Africa.

That right hand from the massive underdog which sent Lewis crashing onto the canvas in 2001 got the world wondering, just how many jewels were there waiting to be uncovered on the mother continent?

Meet Ezekiel Adamu, the founder of the Balmoral Group, who is determined to showcase Africa as a global force in boxing.

According to Adamu: “Africa had talent and energy. What we needed was institutional execution.”

The Balmoral Group is a boxing promotion company and events planning conglomerate built to showcase the best of west African sporting and cultural heritage.

“I grew up in Nigeria surrounded by raw potential. Talent was everywhere in sport, creativity and ambition.”

Adamu started in the events industry 20 years ago in the UK while at university and moved back to Nigeria keen to apply his knowledge to elevate the West African’s sporting scene which had poor infrastructure, minimal broadcasting and recognition in comparison.

“During my studies in the UK, I experienced first-hand how structured systems elevate industries.

“How venues operate with precision, how sports are commercialised professionally and how infrastructure sustains talent over time.”

For decades, talented African athletes and families have moved to Europe and America for better opportunities and quality of living.

But Adamu is determined to push Africa into the limelight.

“Africa has the talent and energy. What we needed was institutional execution.

"Returning home wasn’t accidental, it was intentional. I wanted to bridge global standards with African dynamism."

This article originally appeared on IOL.