NSC denies Bombers 'Algeria Visas'

After three weeks of steamy exercise, GH¢11,000 on food and other logistics, with the aim of participating in the Algerian 3rd African Cup of Nations boxing Championship, the national amateur boxing team could not embark on the trip.

The reason for their absence, according to the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation (GABF) was that the National Sports Council's (NSC) failure to guarantee for a $40,000 loan that GABF has secured from  GEODRILL, a mining company.

The boxers, who were expected to jet out of the country on Tuesday night for the competition, left The Bridge Foundation  Gym, where they have been camping  for three weeks to their various homes, feeling very dejected.

The technical men of GABF have expressed worry about the NSC's failure to aid the team to participate in the competition, which starts from December 10th to 18th, 2010.

To them, the Algeria competition is a big platform to trim all rough edges for the 2012 Olympics.

'The canceling of the trip has not only affected the boys psychologically and emotionally, but it will also rob them of some experience the Algeria competition would have offered them,' said one of GABF technical men.

Revelations from the team's camp suggests that the team needed just $40,000 for the trip, which will cater for their per diem, accommodation and other expenses. Inside sources to the GABF told this writer that the NSC and the Ministry of Youth and Sports failed to raise the said amount to airlift the team.

However, the President of GABF, Mr. Ray E. Quarcoo, through his efforts secured the $40,000 loan for the team to be paid at a future date, and the requirement for the loan was a guarantee from the NSC, which they declined.