Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic passing of Nigerian boxer Gabriel Oluwasegun, who collapsed during a bout at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra on Saturday night.
In a heartfelt message, Adams extended his condolences to the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBC), the Nigerian boxing fraternity, and the global boxing community, acknowledging the devastating loss.
Oluwasegun was competing against Accra-born John Mbanugu, also known as “Power,” in an undercard fight of Ghana’s Professional Boxing League when the unfortunate incident occurred. Midway through the bout, he suddenly collapsed in the ring, prompting immediate medical intervention. Despite urgent efforts to revive him, the 40-year-old boxer was unresponsive and was rushed to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) has since released an official statement confirming his passing, sending shockwaves through the local boxing community. Reports suggest the boxer may have suffered cardiac arrest.
A viral video of the fight captures both fighters trading heavy punches before Oluwasegun stumbled and collapsed, just 15 seconds before the end of the third round in a scheduled eight-round match. Initially, the bellman and timekeeper considered it a knockdown, but the severity of the situation quickly became apparent, leading to frantic medical efforts to save his life.
Oluwasegun’s last recorded fight was on December 24, 2024, against Idowu Raheed at the Campos Mini Stadium in Lagos.
