Jonathan, a former African and Commonwealth boxing champion in lightweight category died in Ibadan on Saturday morning after a protracted poor health.
He had for the past seven years been battling with his health after he was diagnosed for prostate enlargement at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan where he had the first phase of his surgery but could not afford the cost for the further medical care.
While narrating his last moment the wife said “we have been managing his health all these while until the early hours of Saturday when he woke up at 3:00am to demand for water and went back to his sleep, I fed him with his breakfast in the morning afterwards he vomited the food and gave up the ghost at precisely 8: am”.
Reacting to the death, the Chairman Oyo State Amateur Boxing Association (OSABA) Chief Baron Akintunde Opaleye described the circumstances at which the former boxing champ died as a pitiable one, urging our government to pay more attention to the plight of our sporting heroes especially at their trying times.
Also mourning the late Jonathan was the boxing enthusiast and respected Yoruba monarch, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo who described Jonathan as a stylish pugilist during his active days in the ring.
He however regretted the loss saying he was determined to support the welfare of the ex-boxing champ but lost the communication link with him, while pledging to support in giving him a befitting burial.
It would be recalled that Alaafin in July 2014 gave the former African and Commonwealth and boxing champion Dele Jonathan three million naira lifeline to support his medical treatment, after Multi choice, the sponsors of GOTV Boxing Night also supported him with proceeds generated from one of their Boxing shows.
