Chaos at 2025 NSF: Kickboxing Officials Clash, Police Intervene, NSC Steps In

Chaos at 2025 NSF: Kickboxing Officials Clash, Police Intervene, NSC Steps In

By Admin 

 The 2025 National Sports Festival descended into chaos on Wednesday as officials of the Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria were involved in a physical altercation over officiating roles at the event, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The confrontation, which took place at the kickboxing venue, was the result of a protracted leadership crisis within the federation. An ongoing power tussle, triggered by the controversial impeachment of the federation’s president and the subsequent imposition of a replacement allegedly lacking requisite qualifications, has left the body deeply divided.

Tensions boiled over when a technical director appointed by the embattled leadership, identified as Mr. Kevin, excluded other board members from decision-making and unilaterally selected officials deemed unqualified by other stakeholders. The resulting outrage led to an open scuffle, prompting police intervention and the temporary arrest of Mr. Kevin.

The scheduled kickboxing events were abruptly postponed due to the disruption.

In response to the debacle, National Sports Commission (NSC) Director-General and Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Chairman, Bukola Oladape, summoned the warring parties for an emergency meeting. He reportedly issued a stern warning, threatening to remove kickboxing entirely from the festival if decorum wasn’t restored.

Following the meeting, a tentative resolution was reached: Mr. Kevin would oversee technical affairs, while Mr. Oluigbo would take charge of officiating. However, by 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, competitions had yet to resume, with internal dissent reportedly persisting.

As uncertainty looms, the spotlight is now on the NSC and whether it will follow through on its ultimatum to expel the sport from the Gateway Games if order isn’t restored.