The president of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), Peter Zwennes, has charged government to give priority to boxing. He described government’s over concentration on football to the neglect of boxing as worrying, and advised that government should channel some resources to develop other lesser sports like boxing.
He argued that the pugilistic sport has produced close to ten world champions, but soccer has failed to replicate this feat at the world stage despite all the investments the nation has channeled into it. He bemoaned the abysmal results soccer has produced even on the African continent since 1982.
“Long before Ghana qualified for her first World Cup in 2006, boxing had already won the country a world title. Therefore with a little push and support, they could win more for Ghana,” Zwennes said.
Speaking at the Kotoka International Airport, on Richard Commey’s arrival last Saturday, he said that boxing entails a lot and requires great sacrifices from boxers, trainers and promoters. He said that it was sad that successive governments had failed to support the sport, yet whenever boxers raised the flag of Ghana high at the world stage governments had been quick to take the glory.
He congratulated Commey for making Ghana proud by winning the Commonwealth Lightweight title. The boxing chief said that although government did not support the boxer, he made the country proud through his own efforts. “The GBA is hoping for another Commonwealth title from Obodai Sai by the end of the year and other title fights in other weights,” he added.
The GBA boss indicated that plans were underway for the commencement of the Boxing League by the last quarter of this year. He conceded that the Brazil 2014 World Cup was responsible for the late commencement of the league.
