Boxing has always been the hope of the nation when it comes to international sports competitions. This year, the Black Bombers are among athletes representing Ghana at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Out of the 126 Team Ghana contingent of sports men and women, 9 are boxers with their three coaches plus federation leader.
The new Black Bombers were selected after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo through an Individual Open National Championship where some experienced boxers were beaten.
Selecting the team for Birmingham 2022, some of these defeated boxers have been included and others who did very well and are well conditioned with youthful energy and power dropped, notably Theophilus Kpakpo Allotey who has made people, especially fans of the Black Bombers to ask questions and demand answers.
The inclusion of USA based female boxer, Ornella Sathoud made the locally based female boxers who have prepared for international competition to question which criteria was used in selecting the boxers to represent Ghana.
Also, the training regime of the Black Bombers has not been the best as they were not camped, but had to come from home every day to train.
This non residential camping could not aid the technical men to monitor the boxers.
The technical men are Head Coach Ofori Asare, assisted by Lartekwei Lartey and Emmanuel Quaye.
However boxing fans are asking why these coaches will allow their selection to be influenced as reports suggest that the current president of the Ghana Boxing Federation, Mr. Benard Quartey influenced the selection and included boxers who lost at the Individual championship and also not cut as medal hopefuls.
It is very sad for a good natural Flyweight boxer like Theo Allotey to focus his mind on the Commonwealth Games, only to be dropped at the last minute, and replaced by a Bantamweight boxer who has to battle with weight shedding before entering the ring.
According to the former GBF president, Mr. George Lamptey, the team is weakened by interferance, and he is not happy with the composition of the team.
Some connoisseurs of the game also say those selected should be given the benefit of doubt as they may enter the medal zone.
In fact, the issue has raised many eyebrows, and former world champion, Joseph Agbeko had to report the problem to the Ghana Olympic Committee / Commonwealth Games Association Ghana, but the management of Team Ghana do not want to interfere in the selections of the sports federations, but can only advise.
So they advised that the right thing should be done.
Sincerely if am pushed to the wall to tip one boxer who can make Ghana proud, maybe I can choose Jessie Lartey who won at the Individual championship and has experience after winning the only bronze for the nation at the last Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia in 2018.
His father, assistant coach Lartey can also motivate him to fight on till he can not any more.
Much pressure will be on coach Asare who led the team to win a bronze at the Olympic Games, because he has to prove that he is consistent and capable.
As a boxing enthusiast, I can only wish the Black Bombers good luck and may the most prepared and most determined and lucky bring home something presentable.
The Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) named the 9 boxers to represent Ghana at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham as follows;
US-based Dr. Ornella Sathoud (female), Shakul Samed (light heavyweight), Abdul Wahid Omar (light-welterweight), Jessie Lartey (light-middleweight), Abubakar Quartey (middleweight), Alfred Kotey (welterweight), Joseph Commey (featherweight), Abraham Mensah (bantamweight) and Yaw Addo (flyweight).
By Sammy Heywood Okine