“No juju in sports, the secret is hard training and discipline” Professor Azumah Nelson guides Team Ghana
Former World Boxing Council (WBC) Featherweight and Super Featherweight champion, Azumah Nelson was a special guest and appointed Ambassador of the Commonwealth Games Association Ghana when they unveiled plans and preparations ahead of the upcoming 23 edition of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
In a short speech, the Edmonton 1978 gold medalist said there is no short route to success in sport other than hard training and discipline. He advised athletes who are going to represent the nation not to fear or be intimidated by other contestants, but see themselves as champions from a great country called Ghana.
Azumah Nelson recalled how he missed the 1980 Olympic Games due to a boycott by African countries over apartheid in South Africa.
“I however became a world champion when I turned professional and reigned for ten solid years” he told the gathering at the Press Conference held at Central Hotel at Rigge in Accra,
He revealed how former President J.J. Rawlings, who was then their team manager, took good care of the national team and fed them well in camp before going to the Games.
Azumah Nelson, Africa’s greatest boxer and Margaret Simpson, a former super athlete were introduced as Ambassadors of the CGA, by President Richard Akpokavie. He urged Team Ghana to emulate the shining examples of the legends and also try their best to climb the podium.
President of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) Dauda Fuseni assured the nation that from what he sees at training the Black Bombers have improved tremendously and he is optimistic Ghana will grab gold in boxing.
10 boxers are currently in camp at Winneba, very soon they will fly to the UK to get acclimatized with the weather and condition themselves for the tournament.
The boxers in camp include Mubarak Amarh, Desmond Pappoe, Enenezer Ankrah, James Okoh, Mathias Ashitey and Amadu Mohammed.
Also in camp are heavyweights Asiedu and Daniel Pappoe plus some female boxers, the Black Hitters like Ramatu Quaye and Nancy.
The upcoming Commonwealth Games, a multi-sport event, will be the 23rd edition for all former colonies of the United Kingdom (Great Britain) including Australia, Nigeria, Ghana, India, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya and others.
The Commonwealth is made up of over 70 independent member countries. It is a voluntary association spanning Africa, Asia and the Americas.
By Sammy Heywood Okine