Who are Anthony Joshua's trainers involved in Nigeria car crash?
Who are Sina Ghami and Abdul Lateef, Anthony Joshua's trainers involved in Nigeria car crash?
Two close members of Anthony Joshua's training team, Sina ‘Evolve’ Ghami and Abdul Lateef 'Latz', were involved in a car crash in Nigeria on Monday, December 29.
Nigerian authorities have not officially confirmed the identities of the victims. However, Nigerian journalist Adeola Fayehun reported that the two who died were indeed Ghami and Latz, both in their mid-30s. Fellow boxer Badou Jack also posted a tribute to Latz on Instagram, further fuelling the rumours, and the WBC have now expressed their condolences to both men too.
Who is Sina ‘Evolve’ Ghami?
Sina Ghami was well-known for bridging the gap between clinical healing and peak athletic output and was a revolutionary figure in high-performance rehabilitation, who specialises in musculoskeletal injuries and corrective exercises.
He is a long-time friend of Joshua and is widely referred to as his strength and conditioning coach in the boxing community, working with the former heavyweight champ for over 10 years.
He was responsible for preparing the former two-time heavyweight champion's physical readiness ahead of high-profile fights like the recent fight and victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on December 19.
Ghami also played a crucial role in Joshua's corner during a number of notable fights, including the historic victory over Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in 2017.
Sina has also worked with high-profile athletes Le'Veon Bell from the NFL and Draymond Green from the NBA.
He turned his elite-level experience into a facility that embodied his forward-thinking mindset when he co-founded Evolve Gym in Ruislip, London, in 2017. He is hence known as Sina ‘Evolve’ Ghami.
Who is Abdul ‘Latz’ Lateef?
Abdul Latif, healthy_mindset a.k.a Latz on Instagram, served as Joshua's personal trainer and was often seen working closely with him at training camps and was credited with much of the boxer's conditioning and technical preparation.
Latz and AJ's friendship stretched back far beyond his superstar boxing career. Just hours before the fatal crash, the boxer had posted a clip of them laying table tennis together.
He was born Kevin Ayodele and used to play for Tooting & Mitcham, however he changed his name after converting to Islam.
What happened?
The accident occurred around 11am local time on a stretch of one of Nigeria’s busiest highways. Police say Joshua was seated in the rear of a Lexus SUV when the vehicle reportedly lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre and struck a stationary truck parked roadside.
The local authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, with early indications pointing to excessive speed and a possible tyre burst as contributing factors.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes at the wreckage, where bystanders helped extract a visibly shaken Joushua from the vehicle amid shards of glass and twisted metal. Joshua was later transported to a nearby medical facility, where he was assessed for injuries that are reportedly not threatening.
GBN would like to express their deepest condolences to both Sina Ghami and Abdul Lateef's family and friends at this terrible time.
