Since Ghana’s boxing golden generation in the 1980s and 1990s which saw the emergence of legends such as David ‘Poison’ Kotei, Azumah Nelson and Ike Quartey, among others, the sport has struggled in recent times.
In the last decade, Ghana has managed to produce two champions in Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe and Richard ‘RC’ Commey but both fighters lost their belts within eight months.
This is not to discredit Dogboe and Commey but it tells us how standards in boxing have fallen over the years.
There are numerous problems facing the sport in the country from lack of well-equipped training facilities to financial constraints destroying fighters.
Legendary Azumah Nelson and Ike ‘Bazooka’ Quartey have all expressed their grievances at the way boxing is being run in the country.
The two greatest fighters in Ghana’s history continue to call on authorities to invest into the amateurs if the nation wants to go back to its glory days.
They have been right with their calls because in countries where boxing continues to thrive such as the US, Cuba and Puerto Rico, their secret has been strong amateur systems.
It is a very important tool to unearth and nurture young talents for the future. Over here in Ghana, the country has been blessed with talents but so many distractions continue to hinder their progress.
For example, Bukom, a suburb in Accra, produces over 90 per cent of fighters from the country. The problem here is how the state fails to raise awareness of the sport in other regions to allow others to have access to boxing.
More importantly, the national boxing league dubbed Bukom Fist of Fury, which was put together by the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) and Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF), continues to struggle over financial problems.
Despite all these problems hindering the sport, so many young talents continue to emerge from the various gyms in Accra ready to be nurtured into world beaters.
In the last year, I observed the upcoming prospects who proved beyond reasonable doubts that they can reach far with the needed support.
With this, I want to take the opportunity to name a few of these fighters that have impressed me with their skill and performance.
ALFRED LAMPTEY
The young featherweight boxer is undefeated in eight professional fights and remains one of the hottest boxing commodities locally.
Lamptey trains at the Black Panthers gym in Accra with a bright future having made his professional debut in 2019.
Having beaten experienced fighters such as Raymond Commey and George Krampah, the Bukom Bomber announced himself in the division.
Lamptey is preparing to challenge for the WBC Youth title in the coming months with the hope of breaking into the rankings as soon as possible.
JOHN LARYEA
The Bronx Boxing Club fighter holds the national featherweight crown after nine fights and is considered one of the emerging talents in the sport.
Laryea made his debut in 2018 against Emmanuel Laryea and has progressed after beating Kamarudeen Boyefio to win the national featherweight title.
The youngster is targeting the WBO Africa featherweight title by the close of year and that will get him on the world ratings.
MICHAEL DECARDI NELSON
Nelson is hopeful of walking in the shoes of his mentor and legendary fighter Floyd Mayweather whom he sees as his mentor in the sport.
The 18-year-old turned professional last December and has managed three fights with two victories and a draw.
His last bout with Moses Adjei Sovereign remains my best local fight this year and with the right nurturing, he is billed to go far.
Nelson trains at the famous Akotoku Boxing Club in Accra, a gym that produced the legendary Azumah Nelson and Ike ‘Bazooka’ Quartey.
MOSES ADJEI SOCEREIGN
On his debut fight against Decardi Nelson, Adjei Sovereign proved his worth with an impressive outing.
Sovereign trains at the Sea View Boxing Club with the hope of making it in boxing. At age 18, his ring craft and boxing sense speak volume of the future ahead.
However, the fighter’s subsequent bouts could prove vital in his progress, especially when he has just a fight to his credit.
MOHAMMED ARYEETEY
Known as the Golden Boy, Aryeetey chose the famous tag with the aim of winning every gold that comes his way on his boxing journey.
A product of the Sea View Boxing Club, Aryeetey is undefeated in four professional fights and is hoping to become a world champion in the next two years.
Aryeetey knows the difficulty in achieving his dream of becoming a world champion and is ready for the task ahead.
SELASSIE GORSH
The Bronx Boxing Club is noted for unearthing and nurturing the talents of former IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey and Duke Micah.
Their latest prospect Selassie Gorsh is one of the most talked-about fighters in the country who is destined to reach far in the sport.
Trained by one of the most experienced coaches in Ghana, Lawrence Carl Lokko, Gorsh has four wins in as many bouts.
He has a bright future and with the guidance of trainer Lokko, Gorsh is certainly on the path of greatness.
By Bernard Neequaye