The Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) Secretary Mr Patrick Johnson, has tipped boxing in the country to have a brighter future following its impressive ascendancy ratio to performance lately.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with sportsworldGhana.com,he said boxing, has done so well to the development of Ghana as a nation, having been the first sporting discipline ever discovered in Ghana before football taking over.
Mr. Johnson who also doubles as the Ghana Arm-Wrestling class one (1) official in the development of Ghana boxing disclosed ” From five (5) to six(6) years now the development of Ghana boxing has done superbly well growing from stages to stages and l must say the future for Ghana boxing is very bright and rating Ghana boxing with the year under review (2017) from a scale of 1-10 will rate Ghana at the number 7 mark,” Mr. Patrick noted.
On how beneficial boxing has been to the development of Ghana, he highlighted “with its development to nation Ghana has aided to secure numerous individuals a job. Talk of the amateur boxing, numerous security personals have been employed all in the name of boxing.”
“Boxing itself gives job,money and make people to change and better their lives, as it has taken countless number of people off the street, talk of the lands – guard’s, armed robbers and what a view, having made others to also reach a level they never dreamt of,” he added.
With the help boxing has been to Ghana’s development and having proven to be a major tool to Ghana’s uplifting when asked on how supportive the sports ministry has been so far on the field of Ghana boxing had this to say.
“With the sports ministry’s support to boxing at first was in charge of financing both the amateur and professional boxing but it got to a time government had to pull out from financing the professional boxing with the believe that ”they earn money from their bouts but to focus on the amateur which happens to be the less vulnerable between the two”
“But the government currently is in serious financing terms with the national amateur boxing team. Having everything to do with its local camping, which country they will travel to, where to sleep,what to eat and their national programmes are all being catered by the government, even though at some point in time the ministry comes in to support some professional boxing bouts, with the recent one being the $50,000 support to Isaac Dogboe’s previous bout before his heavy showdown to Cesar Juarez”
“But for the amateur boxing, the government supports it every now and then provided there’s an assignment for its national team.”
With the push the GBA over the years has channeled out towards prospective Ghanaian boxers Johnson said” with the likes of Isaac Dogboe, Frederick Lawson, Richard Commey, Abib Ahmed, Rafael Mensah and Duke Micah from the corners of the GBA have been massive with the support given to them. But just to mention few, with the GBA fashioning their bout when they have one is even enough as a Ghanaian boxing governing body and not only that but also the encouragement being narrowed towards them.”
“Much a times when they are to have world title shots or a higher – ranked bouts, the GBA executives go to their respective boxing gyms to bid them farewell, encourage them through words and also donate a little presents to boost their morale going into the bout, which for me I think is a plus to them seeing the executives of the GBA leaving their offices to support you the boxer with words and presents,” Mr. Johnson pointed out.
He concluded” Boxing in Ghana is growing from one stage to another so the citizenry’s of the nation should come all out and support Ghana boxing because it is boxing which has made Ghana who and what it is currently if talking of sports”.
