FEATURE: Amateur boxing needs different approach to thrive!
WE always talk about building the base of our sports in the country but our actions as a country doesn’t depict that.
If boxing — a sport that has produced internationally recognised athletes such as Azumah Nelson and Ike ‘Bazooka’ Quartey — cannot be taken serious in Ghana, then I wonder what we intend doing for the other disciplines but football.
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I write this with a lot of emotions because boxing has suffered too much in the hands of successive government despite being arguably the most successful sport in the country.
A sport that has produced 10 world champions for Ghana should not be suffering such neglect from the state for all it continues to give to Ghana.
Recently, I was at the Accra Stadium to witness the National Individual Championship for amateur fighters but looking at what delayed the event for over five hours I realised we are not serious about the progress of boxing as a country.
How can a boxing nation like Ghana not have gloves for a justify-your-inclusion championship for the national amateur boxing team, Black Bombers? I was shocked to the core when organisers of the championship blamed the delay on lack of gloves for fighters to compete.
I kept asking myself questions as to how boxing can be developed when these young and upcoming fighters lack common gloves to box. This must not be condoned in this day and age when every country takes sports as a tool for youth development.
Frustrations
For a country that is looking forward to winning more gold medals when she hosts the 2023 Africa Games, boxing which has continuously proven to be the nation’s trump card at international competitions must be taken seriously.
The National Individual Championship must be a state-sponsored event through the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) because it is aimed at picking the top two amateur boxers in all the weight classes into the Black Bombers.
This team is expected to camp and train towards competing in the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July, as well as participating in next year’s African Games.
If for nothing at all, these two events should be the nation’s motivation to give fighters the needed training equipment to prepare them adequately for the task ahead but the state is not doing that.
I foresee the same old story of leaving these boxers to their own fate only for the country to come back and reward them when they toil to win medals.
Is that how champions are unearth? This archaic ways of doing things must be changed but the country’s cold attitude towards these amateur fighters is an indication that we are not learning from our mistakes.
I expected the country to take an inspiration from the achievement of Samuel Takyi -- an amateur fighter who together with his teammates and trainers -- single handedly masterminded an Olympic bronze medal despite the neglect from the state.
We didn’t learn from his achievement and how the whole nation hypocritically celebrated the youngster upon his return from the Olympics despite doing nothing significantly for his preparations.
Doing things better
Ghanaian athletes will continue being mere participants at international competitions, such as the Olympics. if our authorities continue to overlook the investments that goes into countries winning so many laurels.
Cuba and United States (US) remain the biggest achievers in boxing at the amateur ranks and it shows their commitment to the sport over the years through huge investments.
Why can’t Ghana do same? The talents are there and ready to give their all if the Ministry of Youth and Sports are willing to take a different approach to budget disbursement on sports in Ghana.
The over reliance on football, which has failed over the years, must be revised and I believe it will take a different approach by a minister who is ready to give deserving disciplines the opportunity to thrive.
I want to appeal to the government to reconsider boxing as its lead sporting discipline going into the 2023 Games if the country wants to do well in the competition.
The investment must start now. Fighters must get more competitions to prepare them and I am confident that with the right approach, the sky will be the limit for these talented boxers.