Boxing Enthusiast Urges Portable to Compete at National Sports Festival in May
- Nigerian singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, secured a win over Darlington Okoye in a celebrity boxing match via Technical Knockout (TKO)
- Following the win, a boxing enthusiast is urging Portable to take a bold step by participating in a major biannual sporting event in Nigeria
- The 22nd edition of the National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games, is scheduled to take place from May 18 to 30, 2025, in Abeokuta, Ogun State
Portable stunned the boxing community with an impressive display of skill, claiming a famous victory over Speed Darlington via Technical Knockout (TKO) at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Lagos on Saturday.
The bout came to an abrupt end after the first round, when Darlington, popularly known as Akpi, failed to return for the second round and was later seen with a bandage on his right arm.
In the lead-up to the fight, both entertainers promised an intense showdown during their weigh-in on Friday. While Portable confidently showed off his boxing skills, Darlington resorted to theatrics, grabbing chairs in a chaotic scene.
Source: Twitter
Adesina backs Portable for National Sports Festival
Boxing enthusiast Adekunle Adesina has called on street-pop artist Portable to participate in the upcoming National Sports Festival (NSF) set to take place in Ogun State.
Speaking in an exclusive chat with Legit.ng, Adesina believes the singer has demonstrated real potential in the ring, having secured two victories in celebrity boxing matches.
He added that Portable's presence would bring added glamour to the boxing event and boost public interest in the festival.
He said:
“I want to see Portable compete at the upcoming National Sports Festival in May. Fortunately for him, Ogun State is the host, and he lives in Sango Ota.
“He doesn’t need to go through the regular qualification trials because the host state can field athletes directly. All he has to do is participate in the in-house trials conducted by the state coach."
“If Portable makes the final list of boxers for the festival, I can assure you he’ll bring extra glamour to the event, everyone will want to watch him fight,” he added with a touch of humour."
Boxing is among the 32 sports approved by the National Council of Sports on April 18 per Blueprint.
Source: Instagram
How Portable defeated Darlington
Portable won over fans with his unexpected technique during the first round of his bout against Speed Darlington.
The Zazu crooner unleashed a flurry of punches on Darlington and even grabbed his neck at one point to prevent a counterattack.
Darlington, on the defensive, stepped back with his hands guarding his face while trying to land a few jabs of his own.
The Zeh Nation boss maintained the pressure with heavy punches, eventually forcing Akpi into a corner just before the bell rang.
According to Gistreel, Speed Darlington failed to return for the second round, leading to Portable being declared the winner by technical knockout (TKO).
Adeyanju calls for rematch between Darlington and Portable
Legit.ng earlier reported that Speed Darlington’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has called on the organisers of Chaos in the Ring to arrange a rematch between his client and Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable.
Adeyanju criticised the officiating of the match, claiming that Portable engaged in unprofessional conduct by repeatedly holding his client during the bout.
From the opening bell, Portable wasted no time unleashing a flurry of coordinated punches. The President of Zee Nation relentlessly pursued “Akpi” throughout the first round, giving him no room to recover.
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Source: Legit.ng
