It was a moment of joy and excitement for thousands of boxing fans and residents of the Upper East Region when they witnessed a professional boxing Championship in the region for the first time after twenty years.
Twenty-seven boxers from Upper East, Upper West and the Northern regions from the various weight divisions, including exhibition bout took part in thirteen bouts in one night at the Nab Hotel and Events Centre in Bolgatanga.
The event was organized by the National Sports Authority in Upper East Region with support from the hotel.
Talented boxers especially from the Bantam weight division were discovered with young boxers exhibiting professional skills with a high spirit of determination and ready to take boxing as a career.
Boxers from the feather, light, light welter, welter, light middle, middle and heavy weight divisions proved to the whole world that they are ready to take up boxing as a business looking at the energy and passion, they all put out during the entire showdon.
Coaches of the various boxers were all at hand to ensure their boxers demonstrated the physical and emotional training given to them.
The event was well patronized by lovers of boxing and people who came to watch boxing Championship for the first time.
Parents and families of the boxers were also in attendance to encourage their wards to perform well.
The five regions of the North lack boxing facilities to enable talented and interested persons to develop their skills in boxing. Apart from Tamale where there is a standard soccer stadium that can be used for boxing Championships, all the regions in the North cannot boast of any standard sports facility.
So, it has become a discouraging factor for many young people venturing into boxing and it has as well compelled some of these boys to travel to the southern part of Ghana to start their boxing career. Only a few succeed due to many factors including lack of accommodation, proper management and financial support.
The Upper East Regional Director of the National Sports Authority, Abdul Rahman Danladi was full of joy to see the organization of the championship coming into reality after 20 years of no boxing event in the region.
“I want everybody in the world and Ghana to know that Upper East, Northern and Upper West boxers are stronger. I organized this championship because I want our strong boys to desist from street fights and then make it a business. The strength they have in fighting on the streets and causing troubles everywhere to stop. I want them to take advantage of the boxing championship and make it a business so that their parents won’t be crying every day.
We want people to know that the Northern boxers are stronger, and you can see it from this particular championship. I believe all those that are promoting boxing in Ghana will see the difference between Upper East, Upper West, Northern and those in the South. Inshallah, if they concentrate on the Northern boxers, I think we’ll get some champions to represent Ghana at the international level”, he stated.
“Ever since we started this preparation, a lot of people have been calling and sending me messages that they want to come and watch. Some in Accra, some in Tema, some in Kumasi.
I didn’t even know that we had boxers that are in Kumasi, that are from the Upper East. They all wanted to come and box and I said no, they should wait for the next edition because we want to give exposure to the indigenous boys, those that are at home and are not getting opportunities.
The Regional Minister is fully in support of this particular program. So, we’re expecting him around and then other big men too.
The boxers are fully prepared. They don’t joke at all. Ever since I gave them the information about two months ago, they’ve been preparing seriously for this particular competition” he added.
The Director of the events centre expressed his happiness for being made part of the organization.
“You know, since they gave birth to me and I grew up, I have never seen something like a boxing competition in the Upper East. Maybe it may be there, but I have never seen it. But I have been seeing it in different regions that they are doing. So, I decided to say look, let’s see whether we can get something like that to motivate people in the Northern regions, because people are from the Northern, Upper East, and Upper West are all here, we are here together to see the way forward”, he said.
“We want to do it as an annual program. Every year we should be doing it so that the region, the name of the region will also rise up,” he added.
One of the sports enthusiast and sports analyst in the region, Pallas Apuakasi, commended the organizers and partners of the boxing Championship for bringing hope to these young talented boxers and called for sponsorships and partnerships in boxing events to produce more professional boxers for Ghana and Africa.
“We would hope that, as the government said, in terms of getting a stadium for the Upper East, they would make provisions for where we can have a boxing arena, just like one in Bukom. If we could get one in the Upper East, it’s going to go a long way to serve the people of the Upper East. Mind you, we have 15 constituencies in the Upper East. And if we have such in the Upper East, especially in Bolgatanga Regional Capital, it’s going to go a long way to help all of us”, he stated.
“So, in the long term, if it’s going to be continuous, it’s going to go a long way to help. It’s going to go a long way to solve a lot of problems, especially in the Upper East Region, because most guys are very interested in the sport, but where to learn and practice it has always been the problem. So, we are hoping to get a place where we can learn and practice it”, Pallas Apuakasi further stated.
This type of events according to residents and lovers of boxing, will go a long way in reducing crime and idleness by the youth and to also grow the sports industry in the North.
There is a high call for the establishment of a boxing arena in every region in the five regions of the North to further strengthen the spirit of boxing among the youth who have now have interest in boxing.
By Tanko Mohammed Rabiu
