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17.10.2005 Sports News

Furore over Okine's loss as GBA cross sword with agents

17.10.2005 LISTEN
By GNA

Accra, Oct. 17, GNA - The recent loss of the Commonwealth Boxing Council (CBC) Welterweight title by Joshua "Bukom Tsatsu" Okine to Kevin Anderson has sparked some furore in the boxing circles as stakeholders try to figure out the cause of the defeat.

Mr Azumah Coffie, a boxing agent who brokered the deal for the Ghanaian boxer in a radio interview placed the blame squarely at the door-steps of the Ghana Boxing Association (GBA) with the reason that the body does seek the welfare of Ghanaian boxers.

He however asserted that Okine lost his title due to biased verdict from the jury, which consisted of two Scottish and a Briton. Mr Moses Foh-Amoaning, Chairman of the GBA has however denied the claims making rounds in the boxing circles that the body has failed in its responsibilities to protect the welfare of Ghanaian boxers on the international scene.

The GBA, he said cannot be held responsible for the series of losses of the Ghanaian boxers but "rather the agents, managers and promoters of the boxers who are only interested in the money they make from such fights".

Mr Foh-Amoaning said the GBA has always insisted that Ghanaians judges and referees accompany promoters and agents for fights outside the country, but the agents on most occasions reject such requests because it will affect their profits.

The Chairman accused the agents and managers of using Ghanaian boxers as Guinea Pigs to enhance the records of other boxers and thereby making huge profits at the detriment of the Ghanaian boxers.

He described the allegations against the GBA as baseless "because Mr Coffie is the worst culprit, having supervised the defeat of about ten Ghanaian boxers over the years".

Boxers like Charles Adamu, Kpakpo Allotey, Aryitey Powers and Malik Jabir among others were all taken outside the country for fights, but the GBA's insistence on the right thing to be done before their departure have always fallen on deaf ears especially of agents like Mr Coffie, the Chairman noted. 18 Oct. 05

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