Sports

Make resources available for Black Bombers …GBF Pres appeals to govt

The President of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF), Mr. George Lamptey, has called on government to make more resources available for boxing at the amateur level.

That, he believes, will aid the efforts put in place to churn out winners like Samuel Takyi, Ghana lone medal winner at the just ended Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“Ghana has a huge pool of boxing talents that can be harnessed and become winners to take the country to her glory days. But this will remain a dream if funds are not made available to develop them to the level required.”

The GBF president made the call when he arrived with other officials from the Tokyo Olympic Games on Tuesday.

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He said there is an abundance of boxing talents in the various communities that can turn Ghana’s fortunes at the Olympic Games and others such as the Africa Games and Commonwealth Games but have all been left on the street because of the lack of funds.

“If we invest into amateur boxing, the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2023 African Games will surely become platforms for us to make amends, having won a single medal at the biggest multi-sport event in the world.”

According to Mr. Lamptey, the success chalked at the Tokyo Games by amateur boxing should serve as the catalyst to turn things around in terms of support for amateur boxing and generally the least financed sports in the country.

“Today boxing has brought Ghana the much needed recognition on the Olympic stage but nobody is talking about the struggles we had to go through to get there. We have people now coming out to take glory for the achievement of boxing: it is very sad.”

“This boxing team has gone through a lot of challenges to get to this stage. People didn’t believe in us, they never trusted us. People even questioned why a boxing team should lodge at the Royal Beach Resort but today everybody wants to be part of the success.”

He disclosed that “Our budget for the Senegal qualifiers that saw our boxers qualify for the Olympic Games has not been paid as of now. It is sad to see this happen to us. I believe with the needed support, we could have done far better.”

“I want to plead with the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene to ensure that the GBA receives support to produce more boxers capable of winning medals for the nation.”

He said Takyi and other members of the team will arrive today from the Games.

BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY

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