The Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) will soon extend an invitation to WBO Africa super welterweight champion, Patrick Allotey, to respond to queries over an altercation with a soccer fan on Sunday at the Accra Sports Stadium.
According to a GBA source who spoke to the Times Sports yesterday, the boxer would have to explain what led to the incident and why he reacted the way he did, adding that, ‘based on that the GBA board will take a decision on the matter.”
“It is too early to state the kind of punishment to be handed out to the boxer. We can do so after looking at the video and his response, but an offence of this nature cannot go without a sanction.”
Upset by the behaviour of a football fan at the stadium during the Hearts versus Kotoko encounter which the latter won 2-1, Allotey grabbed the shirt of the excited fan that was celebrating and tried to get him away.
But failure to do so resulted in a scuffle in which three hefty punches from the boxer left the fan, named Michael Siaw, with a deep cut around the left eye, drawing sympathy from a few fans that separated them.
The boxer has since apologised for the act and asked for forgiveness but the GBA source explained that apologies cannot just end the case.
He told the Times Sports that the moment licenses are issued to boxers, it bars them from engaging in such scuffles outside of the ring and Allotey’s action was a clear violation of the regulations.
He, however, commended the boxer for the swift move to apologise to his family and fans.
Meanwhile, Secretary General of the GBA, Patrick Johnson also confirmed to the Times Sports that a meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday to deliberate on the incident and the sanctions to apply.
But Allotey in a statement confirmed the incident, expressed regrets and rendered an unqualified apology to Siaw.
“It is rather unfortunate that a simple game of football can ignite such a passion in me to do what I did, but that is to say I am human and I admit so without feeling right about what I did. I wish to plead for everyone’s forgiveness and to reach out to my fans to join me in apologising to all Ghanaians the rest of the world.”
He also advised fans of Hearts of Oak and Kotoko to learn lessons from his predicament and not overreact to losses as he did.”
“I have learned a very important lesson and will thus appeal to all Kotoko and Hearts supporters to be each other’s keeper. Let us see every game played between these two teams as a match where any of the teams can emerge victorious. The truth is, the losing team will definitely have a chance for a comeback anytime they meet next and that surely is the beauty of the game of football, boxing and sports in general.
Allotey disclosed that his family and other representatives have reached out to the victim, Michael Siaw to end the matter.
BY ANDREW NORTEY
