Sports

‘Female boxers can excel if given full backing’

Two perky female boxers who represented Ghana at the Olympic Games Boxing qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal, in March, have expressed optimism about the future if accorded the requisite support by the nation’s sports authorities.

The duo – Dr Ornella Sathoud and Faruiza Osman stated on the International Women’s Day that if more females had been entered for the Olympic qualifier, they could have done better.

“If you look critically at the ratio, we had eight males and two females representing the nation and out of them, only one was female,” Sathoud lamented.

Sathoud came close to sealing qualification to the 2020 Tokoyo Olympics after beating her Ugandan opponent, Doreen Nassal in the quarter-finals of the qualifiers.

However, she missed the direct qualification after losing 0-5 to Gramane Rady Adosinda of Mozambique in the middleweight division at the semi-final stage. 

Sathoud, who holds a PHD, called for better communication between the boxers and officials, as well as transparency and equal remuneration.

Ms Osman, a female recruit of the Ghana Armed Forces, also failed to qualify in her first international experience due to lack of exposure and familiarity, but she was grateful to God and the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) for the opportunity – believing she can perform better in the future.

According to the national boxing coach Ofori Asare, the Ghana national team has 11 female boxers, but only two went for the 2020 Olympic qualifier for African nations in Senegal, “because we were given just two slots.”

Some of the female ‘Bombers’ are Barikisu Sunday, Sarah Botchway, Mariam Mohammed, Raman Abroh, Abigail Quartey, Liticia Amanua, Trudy Manteaw, Sarah Apau and Ramatu Quaye – who gave birth recently.

Just like her other colleagues, Abigail Quartey, who has represented Ghana at the African Games, also believes women boxers can glow if given the chance. She said she prepared for the Dakar qualifiers but was dropped due to the minimum slots.

Meanwhile, Yarkor Chavez Annan, the veteran female boxer (aka the trail blazer) has appealed to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to support and encourage girls who want to venture into the pugilistic sport.

Chavez praised the Black Bombers who have qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Games, as well as coaches Asare, Vincent Akai Nettey and Lartequaye Lartey.

Other coaches who have been training female boxers are Charles Quartey and Zico, all of them are based at James Town, the nation’s cradle of boxing.

BY TIMES SPORTS REPORTER

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