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GAABA laments lack of support for amateur boxing
Accra, Feb. 16, Ghanadot/GNA – Mr Gideon Quartey, Chairman
of the Greater Accra Amateur Boxing Association (GAABA) has
lamented the neglect of the Association’s activities by
major stakeholders.
He said the association had received little or no support
from stakeholders compelling the executives to run the sport
with their own limited resources.
Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, at Chick ‘n’ Lick
‘n’ and La bouquet Restaurant on the Labadi Road in Accra,
Mr Quartey said the surviving four-man executive team, from
the initial number of seven, was yet to benefit from any
form of support from the mother body, the Ghana Amateur
Boxing Association (GABA) since assuming office about three
years ago.
“We inherited nothing in terms of physical and monetary
value from our predecessors.”
He said in spite of the magnitude of the challenges
confronting them, their commitment to the development of the
sport has led to the organization of the first ever regional
amateur league and the recent Top Four Championships.
GAABA is hosting the Haringey Police and Community Team from
the United Kingdom in two international friendly tournaments
and Mr Quartey says there is no support from anywhere to
facilitate the programme.
He said though the British Team had flown in a ring, which
they intended to donate to the Association, the port
authorities were asking for GHC 2,400 before releasing the
equipment, adding that GAABA had no money to clear it and
appealed to the Ministry of Education Science and Sports and
the National Sports Council (NSC) big wigs to intervene on
their behalf.
The chairman called on corporate bodies to come to the aid
of the Association and support it to prosecute its
programmes, aimed at developing boxing at the grassroots.
He said despite their neglect, the national association
selects their boxers into the national team, the Black
Bombers, without even notifying them appropriately, adding
that no compensation is paid to the clubs for grooming the
boxers.
The GAABA Chairman commended Chick “n” Lick “n” and La
Bouquet Restaurant for supporting the visit of the British
team by allowing their premises to be used for the pre fight
weigh in and the press conference and for organising a
deserving welcome reception for the team.
Mr Quartey also challenged the media to give amateur boxing
adequate coverage to rejuvenate interest in the sport and
make it attractive to corporate sponsors.
He quoted from a 2006 World Boxing Council (WBC) report to
emphasise the importance of amateur boxing: “We must
strongly support amateur boxing and modest clubs to keep
watering the seeds for boxing to live for ever, and stop the
fast and gigantic decline of today, when only the few,
selected by the octopus television, are taking advantage of
their voluminous finances while the grass roots of boxing
eat only grass.”
Mr Chris Hall, Team Leader of the Haringey Police and
Community Team assured of his club’s support for GAABA
towards the organization of future events.
The 12-member delegation including one female boxer, and 5
officials arrived in town last Friday and will engage in
their first fight against their hosts at the Sacred Heart
School at James Town in Accra on Saturday.
The United Kingdom team will wrap up their tour of Ghana
with the final contest against the Greater Accra Select Team
Wednesday, February 20 at the Prisons Canteen, Cantonments.
GNA
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