Nigeria’s former middleweight boxing champion, Jerry Okorodudu is dead.
The pugilist who came to prominence at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, was said to have died on Wednesday in a Lagos hospital at the age of 64.
According to reports, the boxer, popularly known as ‘Urhobo Lips’ in his active days, was awaiting amputation of one of his legs when he gave up the ghost.
Okorodudu’s death was by an official of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), who identified himself as Laguda, who disclosed that the boxer died yesterday evening after a protracted ailment at a Lagos hospital.
Okorodudu was a bronze medalist at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia. He was controversially edged out at the quarterfinals of the 1984 Olympic Games by Virgil Hills of the United States.
Before then, he had won a gold medal at the National Sports Festival, Oluyole ’79. He had 83 amateur fights and 40 professional bouts between 1986 and 1992.
May his soul rest in peace.