Anthony Joshua, the former world heavyweight champion, was involved in a car accident on Monday morning in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, posted a statement confirming the news:

“With profound sadness, it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, have tragically passed away”.

In this accident, he lost his gym trainer and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami, as well as his personal trainer, Latif Ayodele. Anthony Joshua was hospitalised with injuries.

In addition to being Joshua's coach for the last 10 years, Ghami also co-founded Evolve Gym. He was a qualified sports and exercise rehabilitator who specialises in musculoskeletal injuries and corrective exercise, having worked in the NFL and the NBA before.

The news broke the hearts of millions of fans. Messages of condolences started to spread on Instagram and Twitter from the fitness community.

Joshua's competitor, Jake Paul, posted, “Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ, and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”

Another rival, Tyson Fury, paid his tribute. On his Instagram, he posted, “This is so sad. May god give them a good bed in heaven”.

As for Joshua, the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, revealed, "I spoke with AJ on the phone to personally convey my condolences over the death of his two associates. I wished him a full and speedy recovery and prayed with him. AJ assured me he is receiving the best possible care. I also spoke with his mother and prayed for her. She was deeply appreciative of the call."

Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar