Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Diaspora Commission (NDC), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has sent a message of support to the defeated Nigerian-born British boxer, Anthony Joshua.
Joshua lost his World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization titles to Mexican boxer, Andy Ortiz Jr, in a major upset on Sunday.
Dabiri-Erewa had been rooting publicly for Joshua before the fight. She had also tweeted that four staff of the Nigerian Consulate in New York would be at Madison Square Garden, New York, US, venue of the fight, to show Nigeria’s support to Joshua.
After losing the fight, Joshua told Sky Sports that he was “beaten by a good fighter,” but promised to return.
In a tweet on Sunday, Dabiri-Erewa encouraged the boxer in his aim for a rematch.
“Dignified in defeat @anthonyfjoshua has asked for a rematch. He will make it, again and again,” she said.
Nigerians had earlier blamed Dabiri-Erewa and her ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), for Joshua’s shocking loss.
They alleged that APC brought ‘bad luck’ on the fighter by identifying with him.
