Black Hitters’ World Championship dream gets boost

WITH just days to go before Ghana’s historic debut at the IBA Women’s World Championships in Serbia, the national female boxing team, Black Hitters, have received a timely boost from Freight Consult, a leading freight and logistics company.

The company, represented by its executive board member and Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) official,  Alhaji Ibraham Issaka Pangasur, donated essential items, including branded t-shirts, beverages, water, medical supplies, and an undisclosed sum of money, to support the team’s preparations at the Accra Sports Stadium last Tuesday.

Team struggles  

The 14-member Black Hitters squad has been in non-residential training since the start of the year, gearing up for the March 8-17 tournament in Nis, Serbia, which offers a lucrative prize pool.

The last edition in India saw gold medallists walk away with $100,000, silver medallists pocket $50,000, and semi-finalists receive $25,000 each. This year, IBA President Umar Kremlev has pledged to double the prize money, raising the stakes even higher.

However, financial constraints have once again hampered Ghana’s preparations, forcing the team to register only six boxers instead of the full complement.

With no support forthcoming from the Sports Ministry or the National Sports Authority (NSA), hopes of making the trip to Serbia remain uncertain.

Gesture of hope

Alhaji Pangasur, who has been a GBF executive board member since 2021, has previously supported Ghana’s boxing teams, including a similar donation to the Black Bombers ahead of their African Olympic qualifying tournament in Senegal last September.

His latest gesture is aimed at motivating the young female fighters, who continue to train tirelessly despite the uncertainties surrounding their participation.

"This is our little way of motivating these young girls for their courage and commitment. They are working hard to lift the flag of Ghana, and we hope other corporate bodies will step in to support them," Ibrahim Issaka, the junior brother of Alhaji Pangasur, who led the Freight Consult team to make the presentation,  said.

The donation was received by GBF 1st Vice-President Alhaji Dauda Fuseni, his Deputy, Solomon Otoo Lartey; Black Hitters Head Coach, Abdul Rasheed Williams, alias Coach Believer, and Assistant Coach, Daniel Lartekwei Lartey.

Expressing his gratitude, Coach Believer hailed the donation as a sign of true leadership and made a passionate plea to the Vice-President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, to support the team, particularly as a woman in leadership.

"We are incredibly grateful to Alhaji Pangasur for this show of belief in us. This is the kind of selflessness we need. These girls are working hard, and they need encouragement, especially from the Vice-President as a woman," he stated.

Beyond boxing, he emphasised the social impact of supporting female athletes, noting that the sport kept young girls off the streets and away from vices such as teenage pregnancy, drugs and prostitution.