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FEATURE: When is boxing resuming in Ghana?
I was glad to hear the President easing restrictions on contact sports during his coronavirus address to the nation last September. It was to allow sports such as boxing to return after months of absence due to COVID-19 restrictions.
In the said directive by the government, contact sports were to resume in November of which football kicks off their season on November 13. I am, however, yet to see the way forward for boxing before the close of year.
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I am not blaming anyone for the uncertainty regarding when the sport will resume but I am worried about the plight of professional fighters who have been without a job for over six months.
That is my concern and I think something must be done quickly to help these boxers. There are also juvenile and amateur fighters whose progress has stalled due to inactivity in the ring.
In America where boxing thrives, bouts have resumed, with fighters staying active and moving up in their ratings but what can be said of Ghanaian boxers that are based home?
The likes of Jessie Manyo Plange and Wasiru ‘Gyatabi’ Mohammed continue to suffer from inactivity in the ring and could drop in their ratings if care is not taken.
It will be a big blow to their careers if they lose their positions in the ratings due to long absence from the ring. That can only be addressed by staging tune up fights to keep them in shape for 2021.
The only problem here is whether promoters and managers have the financial clout to meet all COVID-19 requirements to stage a bout.
Financial constraints
It is going to be difficult for promoters in Ghana to raise funds to stage bouts before the year ends. As it stands, the only consistent promotional outfit in the country happens to be Box Office Sports Promotions.
Even them, their Chief Executive Officer, Alex Ntiamoah, has been lamenting on the negative impact of COVID-19 on scheduled events and is looking forward to support from the government.
It is something I support because if the government can financially support businesses that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, then investors in boxing should not be exempted.
In these hard times, I believe the government must assist promoters and the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) to bring the sport back to life.
I call on the various promoters in the country and the GBA to petition the government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports to get them some relief in this difficult time.
Despite the call on the government to come to the aid of stakeholders in boxing, I want to commend the state for accepting to absorb the cost for COVID-19 testing of all athletes during this period.
It will at least ease the financial pressure on promoters who are willing to stage bouts in this difficult period.
Way forward for Wasiru, Plange
Wasiru and Plange are the two most rated Ghanaian boxers at home and the turn of events isn’t helping their course.
At this point in their professional careers, they need to be fighting three times a year to be able to stand a chance of challenging for a world title. That is not the case at the moment.
The only advice I have for the two promising fighters is for them to relocate to the US to continue their world championship quest. That is where they will have a realistic chance of becoming champions.
With Isaac Dogboe, Richard Commey, Emmanuel ‘Gameboy’ Tagoe and Duke Micah and other Ghanaian fighters residing in the US, their chances of fighting consistently is secured.
The only problem is Wasiru and Plange getting the needed preparatory fights to get their chance. I believe their destinies lie in the hands of their promoters and the earlier they sort them out, the better.
I will be disappointed to see these great fighters destroy their talents due to their inability to get fights. That should be a thing of the past.
