‘Uplifting Ghana Boxing’ Seminar Set to be Game-Changer

Ghanaian boxing experienced a year of contrasting fortunes in 2024, with significant triumphs at the African Games offset by the disappointment of failing to secure any Olympic qualification for the first time in two decades.

Now, stakeholders are set to gather in Accra to address the challenges and chart a course for a brighter future.

The nation celebrated a strong showing at the 13th African Games held in the capital, where Ghanaian boxers delivered an impressive seven medals, including four golds. This success provided a welcome boost to the sport’s profile.

Adding to the year’s highlights, Abigail Quartey etched her name into Ghanaian boxing history in November.

She became the country’s first-ever female world champion, defeating Britain’s Sangeeta Birdi to claim the Women’s International Boxing Federation (WIBF) super bantamweight title.

This groundbreaking achievement was met with widespread praise and sparked hopes for the future of women’s boxing in Ghana.

However, the elation of these victories was tempered by the significant setback of Ghana failing to qualify any boxers for the Olympic Games in Paris.

This marked the first time since the Athens Olympics in 2004 that the nation would not be represented in the boxing ring at the Games, raising concerns about the current state of amateur boxing development.

The year also saw the continued wait for a male world champion. Memories of Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe’s world title reign ending in 2018 and Richard Commey’s subsequent loss the following year remain fresh in the minds of Ghanaian boxing fans.

In a bid to analyse the current struggles and explore future prospects, promoter Ace Power Promotions is organising a crucial seminar on Wednesday, 26 March, at the Bukom Boxing Arena, part of the Trust Sport Emporium in Accra.

Dubbed “Uplifting Ghana Boxing”, the event aims to unite the country’s boxing fraternity, providing a vital platform for stakeholders to discuss the key issues facing the sport.

Speaking exclusively to Le Press Box, Isaac Adu Amankwaah, General Manager of Ace Power Promotions, revealed that the initiative has the full backing of the boxing community. He stated that every key figure within Ghanaian boxing is expected to attend.

“This is a platform for all stakeholders,” Mr Amankwaah explained. “Under normal circumstances this should be organised by, let’s say, Ghana Boxing Authority itself but of course, there have been a few reasons why I think that at this time they couldn’t have done that.”

“And we stepping in to do it; they have given us their maximum support and as you look at it, every stakeholder – from the coaches, from the boxers, from the Ghana Boxing Federation, the Ghana Boxing Authority, the amateurs, everybody – has given us their maximum support and all of them will be there Wednesday to make their points clear.”

Amankwaah emphasised the seminar’s focus on introspection and finding solutions. “This particular seminar is more or less to assess ourselves,” he said.

“It’s not like we are bringing somebody to see it for us; we ourselves in the sport are meeting to discuss our own problems, to reflect, to look back on where we have come from, where we used to have titles virtually every two years, to where we virtually don’t have any world title holder right now, to where, as you just said, we couldn’t qualify for the Olympics.”

He added: “We need to reflect; we need to ask ourselves questions. What have we done wrong? What is going on? What are the areas where we are not doing it right? So that we can make amends, and we can effect change because without it, then I can tell you we are heading for doom.”

Despite the challenges, Amankwaah expressed optimism about the seminar’s potential impact. “The sweet thing about this whole seminar is that all the stakeholders believe and accept that something is not right.”

“That in itself is a win for Ghana boxing because the fact that you agree or you accept yourself, that, listen, I’m doing something, but I’ve come to a point where I’ve realised that what I’m doing maybe I have fall short or maybe there’s something I’m not doing right and I’m ready to talk about it and then also listen to other opinions and see how I can amend it. That in itself I think its a win and I feel that after this seminar you will see quite a number of changes.”

The “Uplifting Ghana Boxing” seminar comes at a critical juncture for the sport in the country. With the collective wisdom and commitment of its stakeholders, there is hope that Ghana boxing can once again reach the heights of its past glory.