The heavyweight champion of the world, Anthony Oluwafemi Joshua, displayed his cultural side Saturday, in London as he fully prostrated before President Muhammadu Buhari as a sign of respect to the number one citizen of Nigeria, his country of roots.
Joshua who is a British-Nigerian born boxer took out time to take pictures with Buhari and his entourage in London.
Joshua’s father originally hails from Sagamu in Ogun state and prostrating to greet elderly people is a cultural ideal that is widely shared by Nigerians of Yoruba extraction.
Joshua is the second British boxer, after James DeGale, to win both a gold medal at the Olympics and a world title by a major professional sanctioning body, as well as the first British heavyweight to do so.
In the pictures posted by Bashir Ahmad, personal Assistant to the President on New Media on his verified Twitter handle, Joshua was seen holding his belts with Buhari.
It was a relishing moment as Nigerians in UK were thrown into a frenzy.
Nigeria’s @anthonyfjoshua, World’s Heavyweight Champion, takes his BELTS to President @MBuhari today in London. pic.twitter.com/ZTjFk8xSQj
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) January 18, 2020
Recall that Buhari had on Friday travelled to London to participate in the inaugural UK-Africa Investment Summit holding on Monday, January 20, 2020.
He would also according to Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity hold a meeting with the Head of the Commonwealth, Prince Charles in Glasgow, Scotland.
Buhari will also have bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Johnson as well as heads of multilateral organisations.
Having arrived London, Buhari mapped out time to chat with Nigerians living in the United Kingdom.
See more pictures generating memes online:
Selfie 🤳 #PMB @anthonyfjoshua ✊🏽🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/YU2mMkRo6t
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) January 18, 2020
President @MBuhari meets with Nigerians living in the United Kingdom today in London, the Champ, @anthonyfjoshua was in attendance. #PMBinLondon pic.twitter.com/JUoJPuUrRW
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) January 18, 2020
RESPECT; @anthonyfjoshua, the world heavyweight champion greeting President @MBuhari after a meeting of Nigerians in Diaspora put together by @nidcom_gov. pic.twitter.com/y5IHJ6F4f1
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) January 18, 2020
Anthony Joshua visited President Muhammadu Buhari in London, prostrated to him in a Yoruba way. pic.twitter.com/f4jKnCfxTe
— Tunmise Reformer (@TunmiseMR) January 18, 2020