A stakeholder and a member of Friends of Boxing as responded to the press release by the Ghana Boxing Interim Management Committee GBIMC.
We aim to position Ghana Boxing as a driver of investment – GBIMC‘s Samir Captan
It reads as follows;
My Response to the Ghana Boxing Interim Management Committee (GBIMC) Press Release
While we acknowledge the Ghana Boxing Interim Management Committee’s (GBIMC) stated commitment to reforming and safeguarding the sport, we strongly question the rationale behind the suspension of all domestic boxing activities as a precondition for instituting reforms.
It is important to emphasize that meaningful reforms, such as reviewing medical protocols, instituting insurance policies, and enforcing anti-doping regulations, could have been implemented concurrently without halting the sport entirely. The suspension has disrupted livelihoods, stalled the careers of hundreds of boxers, and affected promoters, coaches, and ancillary businesses that depend on boxing for survival.
The justification of “recent fatalities” should not lead to collective punishment of an entire sporting community. Instead, immediate, targeted interventions could have been introduced such as stricter ringside medical checks, mandatory insurance, and safety certifications for gyms and promoters while boxing activities continued under supervision.
By suspending domestic boxing, the GBIMC risks eroding public interest, demotivating athletes, and weakening the ecosystem it seeks to strengthen. The focus should be on systemic correction, not total cessation.
We call on the GBIMC, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, and the National Sports Authority to reconsider the suspension and allow regulated boxing to resume immediately, while continuing reform measures in parallel. Ghana’s boxers deserve both protection and opportunity not indefinite uncertainty.