Los Angeles 1984 Olympics hero, Jerry Okorodudu, 64, dies in Lagos

Okorodudu

Nigeria’s former middleweight boxing champion, Jerry Okorodudu, who came to prominence at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, died yesterday, 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.

When The Guardian called the late boxers wife, Adenike, late last night, she pleaded to be left alone, but some officials of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C) confirmed the development.

An official of the boxing body, Laguda, told The Guardian that Okorodudu died yesterday evening after a protracted ailment at a Lagos hospital.

Okorodudu, a bronze medalist at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia, 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.

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