British Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua has vowed to support the parents of two friends killed in a Nigerian car crash, setting aside his own grief as he prepares to return to the ring.
Joshua said he had put his pain to one side to focus on the mothers and fathers of Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, pledging to be a “good soldier” for them and to stand by the families in the months ahead.
Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach for more than a decade, and Ayodele, his personal trainer, died in December when the vehicle carrying them struck a stationary truck on the Lagos Ibadan expressway. Joshua, also in the car, escaped with minor injuries.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the tragedy, the former heavyweight world champion said his focus rested on the parents rather than himself. He framed the duty to look after them as a purpose larger than his own career.
The remarks came as Joshua, 36, confirmed his comeback against little known Albanian Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on 25 July, his first bout since stopping Jake Paul in Miami in December. The fight serves as a warm up before an expected showdown with Tyson Fury later this year.
Joshua said boxing had handed him renewed meaning after months of grief, describing the sport as both a competitive outlet and a source of purpose as he rebuilds.
