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'E really dey tough' - Anthony Joshua tok for tribute to friends wey die for accident
- Author, Lorraine McKenna
- Role, BBC Sport Journalist
- Read am in 4 mins
Anthony Joshua don post video - wey e describe as "short message from di heart" - wia e tank fans for dia support afta di deaths of im two close friends inside car accident.
Di 36-year-old former world heavyweight champion bin sustain minor injuries inside di incident for Nigeria on 29 December wey kpai Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele.
Joshua, along wit Ghami and Ayodele, na passengers inside di vehicle wey jam one truck for Lagos Ibadan Expressway, southwest Nigeria.
Dem pronounce Ghami and Ayodele dead for di scene of di accident, while pipo help Joshua comot from di wreckage.
Key points from Joshua tribute
Heartfelt tanks to supporters
Joshua tank im fans around di world for di love and support wey dem show am during wetin e describe as tragic and traumatic time.
Deep personal loss
Joshua say di deaths of deaths of Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele hit differently from previous losses and e describe dem as im "left and right" and two brothers e rely on evri day.
Acceptance say death go come one day
Joshua admit say di tragedy make am reflect on life and death, and tok say e no dey fear im own death scared of his own time coming and finds comfort in believing his two friends are waiting for him on the other side.
E add: "One day my time go come and I no dey fear at all.
"E dey actually comforting to know say I get two brothers on di oda side.
"I don lose pipo bifor, but I no tink say I don lose pipo like dat. My left and my right."
Unbreakable bond beyond friendship
E explain say di three of dem lived togeda and become more dan friends as e describe dem as business partners, hustlers, lieutenants and generals wey build evritin side by side.
"We become business partners. We become hustlers. We become lieutenants. We become generals. We become evritin."
Recognition of wider grief
Joshua tok say di loss extends far beyond am, as e acknowledge di pain wey families, friends and loved wey lose two major figures for dia lives feel.
"No be only say dia parents, dia uncles, dia cousins, dia friends and mysef lose two great men, we lose pipo wey we dearly care about and wey don be major players in all of our lives.
"E dey tough. E really dey tough," e tok.
Commitment to dia families
Joshua promise to support Ghami and Ayodele families and say e go help dem achieve dia goals and fulfil dia dreams, as e express pride in di men im friends don become.
"I dey sure say dia parents 100% dey proud of dem [becos] I dey proud of dem."
Last week, di 46-year-old driver Adeniyi Kayode wey bin drive di Lexus SUV, bin appear for court and as dem charge am wit four offences wey include causing death by dangerous driving.
Earlier dis month, Joshua bin return to di gym, and e post one video on Snapchat wia e dey hit di pads and dey do exercise, wit di message "mental strength therapy".
While Joshua neva tok weda e go fight again, promoter Eddie Hearn believe say e go return to boxing "wen di time dey right".