🇳🇬NigeriaWest Africa
Oshoba, Ibeabuchi, and Agbaje lead nominations for 2026 Fight Gist Media Boxing Awards
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
Nigerian boxers Elizabeth Oshoba, Ike Ibeabuchi, and Taiwo "Esepo" Agbaje are prominent nominees for the 2026 Fight Gist Media Boxing Awards. The event, scheduled for Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the National Institute for Sports Conference Hall in Lagos, will honor achievements in 14 voting categories for boxers, coaches, and promoters. Oshoba is nominated for Female Social Media Influencer, while Ibeabuchi is in contention for Comeback of The Year, with his fight against Kabiru "KB Godson" Towolawi also nominated for Fight of The Year. Agbaje, a past winner, is nominated in three categories: Fans' Favourite, Best Ring Walk, and Male Fighter of The Year. Other notable nominations include Sikiru Shogbesan, Tope Musa, and Yusuf Ogunbunmi for Male Fighter of The Year, and Toyin Adejumola, Oshoba, and Adeola Oyesiji for Female Fighter of The Year. The awards aim to highlight Nigerian boxing talent globally and document the sport's local growth. Special Awards will be given to Olanrewaju Agiri and Olanrewaju Elundayo for their contributions to Nigerian boxing promotion.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has become the joint all-time leading goalscorer in the World Cup after scoring a hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria. Messi's three goals, his first hat-trick in a World Cup, bring his total to 16, matching Germany's Miroslav Klose. Brazilian great Ronaldo is next on the list with 15 goals, followed by Gerd Muller and France's Kylian Mbappe. Messi described the achievement as a "beautiful moment" to share with his family and teammates, but downplayed its significance, stating, "ultimately, it is just a statistic, nothing more." Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni praised Messi, saying he no longer had "the words to describe Messi" and that he inspires everyone. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister emphasized Messi's continued importance to the team, while Rodrigo De Paul called him "a beast."
Must ReadLionel Messi achieved a significant milestone in his record-breaking sixth World Cup appearance, scoring a hat-trick to become the joint all-time top scorer in the tournament with 16 goals. This feat occurred during Argentina's 3-0 victory against Algeria, launching their bid for consecutive titles. Messi, 38, made his 200th international appearance and became the first player to participate in six World Cups. His hat-trick included goals in the 17th, 60th, and 76th minutes, moving him past Gerd Muller and Kylian Mbappe, and then drawing level with Miroslav Klose. Meanwhile, France began their tournament with a 3-1 win over Senegal, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice, surpassing Olivier Giroud as France's leading goalscorer with 58 goals in 99 games. Erling Haaland also marked his World Cup debut with two goals in Norway's 4-1 victory against Iraq, bringing his international tally to 57 goals in 51 matches. Later, World Cup debutants Jordan were set to face Austria.
The Airtel Africa Foundation, through Airtel Nigeria, has disbursed N50 million in first-year funding to 100 Nigerian students as part of its Airtel Africa Tech Fellowship Programme. This initiative aims to enhance digital skills and educational access in Nigeria, targeting high-performing but financially disadvantaged 100-level students in public universities studying technology-related courses. The scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, monthly stipends, and learning tools, including laptop computers. Each of the 100 beneficiaries received an average of N500,000, with the total disbursement completed by May 29, 2026. Funding will continue throughout the students’ four-to-five-year academic programs. The beneficiaries, known as Airtel Fellows, were selected through an independent process from accredited public universities across Nigeria and are studying disciplines such as Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence. Participating institutions include the University of Lagos, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University, University of Benin, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ilorin, and Tai Solarin University of Education. Dr. Segun Ogunsanya, Chairman of Airtel Africa Foundation, stated that the program aims to build a pipeline of skilled innovators for Africa’s digital economy. Dinesh Balsingh, Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, emphasized the company’s dedication to