Ntiamoah-Boakye bemoans government inertia in lifting ban on boxing.
Mr. Alex Ntiamoah-Boakye has strongly expressed discontent and sorrow about the President’s 15th address of the state on the Coronavirus pandemic.
The President of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo yesterday addressed the nation on his regular update of the public on the Coronavirus situation and the corresponding directions the state is taking to protect Ghanaians in the fight against the virus.
The boxing fraternity yesterday was disappointed when the address failed to meet their expectations.
The Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) on 5th August held a stakeholder meeting to consider petitioning government to relax the restrictions on boxing since other countries have done same. They said the regulatory body has designed a comprehensive COVID-19 preventive plans which include testing boxers, fighting behind closed doors and many others which are being practiced in other parts of the world especially in the United States. The GBA in anticipation of relaxed restrictions in the President’s update, scheduled fights for September and October but was disappointed.
The CEO of the Box Office Promotions, Alex Ntiamoah-Boakeye took to his Facebook account to express his disappointment when the restrictions on boxing were held in the update and lamented on how boxers are struggling during this period and appealled to the government for a stimulus package to sustain the industry.
“The President should consider the boxing industry as our boxers who have special skill going hungry due to the ban on contact sports and it’s very dangerous. We witnessed Isaac Dogboe fought in the US not long ago of which Paul Dogboe (father of Isaac Dogboe) thanked the President due to his support for the boxer’s training camp. If the US and other parts of the world have lifted ban on boxing, I pray with humility for the President of the Republic to consider the boxing industry to be opened as the industry is dying and with the ban it die quickly.”
“We pray for a package from the government that will sustain the industry. The GBA has come out with it’s safety protocols that will contain the virus before, during and after each boxing (fight night) so we pray for the ban to be lifted.” Alex Ntiamoah-Boakye wrote on his Facebook wall.
