President of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) Dauda Fuseni has disclosed that female boxing is very dear to his heart because he believes in gender balance and wants to lead female boxers to the next Olympic Games.
“We have taken females to the Commonwealth Games, but I want to make history and be remembered for taking female boxers to the Olympic Games for the first time” he told Yours Truly in an exclusive interview at the Ga Mashie Hall during the National Individual Amateur Boxing Championship.
According to the creative and innovative leader, the female boxers must also have the chance because they can also do their best to put Ghana on the world map in boxing.
He expressed that the Black Hitters as the female national boxing team are known can also come up with something.
“I feel we should give the female boxers the same opportunities as the males,” he said.
According to Dauda Fuseni, there would be another special tournament for only female boxers to pick or select the Black Hitters to complement the national boxing teams.
He noted that the team should have been selected as the Commonwealth Games is in July August, but the Federation will try to get some good female boxers to represent the nation.
The popular female boxers in Ghana are Trudy Manteaw of the Ghana Armed Forces, Perpetual Okaidja, Janet Acquah, Faruza Osman also a soldier, Sarah Apaw, Jill Whyte, Elizabeth Jeffrey, Nancy Bamfo. Faith Afreh. Elizabeth Boakye and Lois Marie Asiedu.
He congratulated the 26 male boxers who will be fighting at the finals of the Individual Championship.
The Championship exposed talented boxers like Samuel Plange, George Dowuona, Mathias Ashitey, Desmond Pappoe, Ebenezer Ankrah and others.
The team from the north showed potential while the officials also did their best.
He explained that the final was shifted to the end of February to enable the finalists to prepare well and for the GBF to have time to plan to attract more sponsors and invite some personalities and guests to watch the young boxers’ performance.
It took almost 30 years before Ghana got an Olympic medal (bronze) through Samuel Takyi in 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Games
Meanwhile many top sports officials have promised to come and watch the finals.
By Sammy Heywood Okine
