GBA Plans For ‘Team Ghana’

In a frantic attempt to restore Ghana's place on the map of world boxing, the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) has drawn up a steady programme intended to shoot the nation's 25 current best talents onto the big stage of prize fighting.

The programme aims at providing the boxers opportunities to contend for various titles including the ABU, Commonwealth, WBC International and the big world titles over next year.According to GBA acting chairman, Moses Foh-Amoaning, the programme forms a “tactical intervention” by his outfit “to supervise the growth and development” of the 25 boxers.

Named “Team Ghana”, the list include national and WBO Africa super flyweight champion, Sumaila Badu; flyweight Isaac Quaye; national bantamweight champion Anyetei Laryea; super bantamweight champion under the erstwhile WBF, Joseph Agbeko; super bantamweight Alfred Tetteh; ABU featherweight champion Abdul Malik Jabir and featherweight Osumanu Akaba.

Others are: ABU super featherweight champion Kpakpo Allotey; national lightweight champion Raymond Narh, WBO Africa lightweight champion Ben Ankrah; lightweight James Armah; ABU lightweight champion Abdulai Amidu; super lightweight Badu Akuetteh; welterweights Joshua Okine, ABU champion Stephen Okine, Joshua Clottey, Commonwealth champion Osumanu Yahaya and Philip Kotey.

The rest are: super welterweights Osumanu Adama and Emmanuel Clottey; ABU middleweight champion James Toney; super middleweights Daniel Sackey and ABU/Commonwealth champion Charles Adamu; cruiserweight Aloryi Moyoyo and heavyweight Abraham Okine.

While the pool remains quite big, the GBA's programme has outlined the various targets for each boxer according to his record and potential.For example, the ABU super flyweight crown is what the GBA has targeted for Badu while the programme indicates the Commonwealth, ABU and WBC International titles as the authority's target for Narh, Kpakpo and Amidu.

For Yahaya, the GBA aims at landing him a WBC International title fight while it seeks to get Alfred Tetteh and Malik to fight for the ABU and Commonwealth titles.Of the number, however, the older Clottey, Emmanuel, is the only one earmarked to challenge for a full world title, although Mr Foh-Amoaning insists that the boxers will be allowed to take the chance as and when it comes.

He explained that targets must be set for the boxers to monitor their progression and to ensure that they remain focused on the set goals.In recent times, the GBA has managed to secure the WBC International title to be contested between Ghanaian compatriots, Malik Jabir and Osumanu Akaba on March 6 at the Accra Stadium while Joshua Okine fights for the ABU crown on the same bill.