Anthony Joshua reportedly said ‘I feel pain all over my body’ after the fatal car crash on Monday which killed two of his closest friends.
The former heavyweight champion was a passenger in a Lexus which crashed into a stationary truck in Makun, Nigeria.
Joshua’s close friends Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele were killed in the accident, which occurred after the car suffered a tyre blowout on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Joshua was seen wincing and in clear discomfort as he was helped out of the wrecked car, and has since been transferred to one of Nigeria’s best hospitals, the Duchess International Hospital in Lagos.
The 36-year-old’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, released a statement confirming that Joshua is in a ‘stable’ condition, although the boxer is expected to remain at the hospital into the New Year to undergo further tests and treatment.
According to The Sun, Joshua indicated that he had ‘pain all over my body’ following the crash, with sources adding that he had intense pain in his knees and ‘cried out in agony’ as he was taken from the wreckage.
Joshua’s mother, Yeta Odusanya, has travelled to the hospital to be by his side, while his uncle, Adedamola Joshua, has spoken out about the stress the extended family has been through in their attempts to track down the Olympian.
‘Since the incident happened we have been rallying round to see if it is possible to get to see our son but that has been impossible because of his status, we don’t know the hospital he was taking to,’ he said.
‘However, we have been in touch with his father and mother who are also in Nigeria and they have assured us that Joshua is fine.’
Meanwhile, tributes have continued to pour in for Ayodele and Ghani, who worked right by Joshua’s side for over a decade and were considered key members of his tightly-knit team that enjoyed so much success together.
Who were Anthony Joshua's friends Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami?
Throughout his time in boxing, Anthony Joshua has kept a close-knit circle of friends and associates around him, plenty of those working silently behind the scenes during his ascent to the summit of the sport.
Both Ghami and Ayodele were part of that group, considered good friends having worked closely with him for years.
Who is Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele?
‘Latz’ is a long-time friend of Joshua’s and has been part of the AJ team going all the way back to his maiden world title victory over Charles Martin in 2016.
Ayodele was Joshua’s personal trainer and a dedicated Muslim having converted to Isam in 2012.
His Instagram feed is littered with images and videos of him alongside Joshua in the gym and relaxing away from it.
Just hours before the crash, he shared a video on Instagram of him and Joshua smiling and laughing over a game of table tennis.
Latif worked with a number of other prominent sports men and women with New Zealand rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams among those paying tribute.
According to his Facebook profile, he attended St Joan of Arc Catholic School in Rickmansworth, a few miles from Joshua’s hometown of Watford.
Who is Sina Ghami?
Ghami was Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach, a role he held for more than a decade.
He was also the co-founder of Evolve Gym in London. Their website states Ghami was a qualified sports and exercise rehabilitator who specialises in musculoskeletal injuries and corrective exercise.
Ghami was at Joshua’s side throughout his career, including his crowning moment against Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in 2017.
His last Instagram story appeared to be a shot of Joshua’s motorcade through Lagos.
Just hours before the crash, Joshua had shared a video with his followers on social media that showed him enjoying a game of table tennis with Ayodele, who was affectionately known as ‘Latz’ to close friends.
A fundraiser set up to build a mosque in memory of Ayodele has so far raised nearly £200,000.
Back in the UK, flowers and lit candles have been left outside a gym in northwest London which was owned by Ghami, who had been Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach for more than ten years.
Speaking to The Times, Ghami’s uncle, Shahryar Rumi, said: ‘Sina was an angel living amongst us. Personally, there is no one kinder, no one more generous, no one more compassionate, no one more brotherly.
‘He helped so many people, in every way shape or form. Without even knowing them he would know that if they needed money, never would he turn anybody away. If they ask for £500, he would give them £2,000. He was that kind of an angel. The least selfish person I have ever known.”
‘They were friends, Anthony Joshua and Sina. They worked together, but they began as friends. Even on this trip, he didn’t want him to be alone, so he went with him.’
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