Oh, MoYS, don’t do this to amateur boxing!

The entire nation woke up to the disturbing news of the failure of the national amateur boxing team, the Black Bombers, to participate in the ongoing African Boxing Championship in Brazzaville, Congo.

Even more worrying were the circumstances surrounding the eventual cancellation of the trip after the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) had raised the hopes of the boxers and officials of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation (GABF) through various interactions, only to let them down at the end of the day.

According to the account which was carried on the back page of last Monday’s edition of this paper, all the Bombers needed to embark on the trip to Congo for the crucial championship was a paltry $32,000.The amount meant a drastic reduction of an initial budget of $54,000 by the Ministry, coupled with the pruning down of the contingent size from 18 to 15 in the first instance, and finally to 10.

The amount meant a drastic reduction of an initial budget of $54,000 by the Ministry, coupled with the pruning down of the contingent size from 18 to 15 in the first instance, and finally to 10. However, the hopes of the eight boxers and two officials to travel to Brazzaville this week to fight for slots in next year’s Commonwealth Games in the Australian city of Gold Coast were dashed after the Ministry had failed to honour its earlier promise.

However, the hopes of the eight boxers and two officials to travel to Brazzaville this week to fight for slots in next year’s Commonwealth Games in the Australian city of Gold Coast were dashed after the Ministry had failed to honour its earlier promise.The fact that the Bombers are still in town while the Brazzaville event (which serves as a qualifier for the AIBA World Boxing Championship in Hamburg) is underway and will climax on Sunday effectively rules out the Ghanaians.

The fact that the Bombers are still in town while the Brazzaville event (which serves as a qualifier for the AIBA World Boxing Championship in Hamburg) is underway and will climax on Sunday effectively rules out the Ghanaians.And come to think of it, the Bombers’ absence from the African Championship also means there will be no Ghanaian challenge for medals in boxing at the much-trumpeted 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold

And come to think of it, the Bombers’ absence from the African Championship also means there will be no Ghanaian challenge for medals in boxing at the much-trumpeted 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Goast.This unfortunate incident clearly portrays a bleak future for Ghana boxing, which has been in comatose for some time

This unfortunate incident clearly portrays a bleak future for Ghana boxing, which has been in comatose for some time now, and is seeking for a desperate rescuscitation as evident in the absence of world titles and medals at major international events in recent times. Now wonder the acting president of the GABF, George Lamptey, is said to have lamented the future of the young boxers, whose development at major international competitions would be adversely affected by such unfortunate decisions.

Now wonder the acting president of the GABF, George Lamptey, is said to have lamented the future of the young boxers, whose development at major international competitions would be adversely affected by such unfortunate decisions.We find it difficult to accept why the Ministry, which had earlier promised to support all sports, could not raise $32,000 to fund the trip of these promising boxers, who had sacrificed

We find it difficult to accept why the Ministry, which had earlier promised to support all sports, could not raise $32,000 to fund the trip of these promising boxers, who had sacrificed their all in the past three months to prepare for the African Championship.We daresay that what happened to the Bombers could be a disincentive for upcoming boxers in particular, and to a large extent, athletes of less-financed disciplines who always moan over the over-indulgence of the sports budget on football.

We daresay that what happened to the Bombers could be a disincentive for upcoming boxers in particular, and to a large extent, athletes of less-financed disciplines who always moan over the over-indulgence of the sports budget on football.We wish to remind the MoYS of a similar incident which occurred last April when Ghana’s female team failed to participate in the IAAF Relay Championships in

We wish to remind the MoYS of a similar incident which occurred last April when Ghana’s female team failed to participate in the IAAF Relay Championships in Bahamas simply because the nation could not raise $20,000 to fund the trip.The GRAPHIC SPORTS totally agrees with the GABF boss that the boxers’ absence from the three major international events would jeopardise their future since they would be denied the exposure such international competitions offer them in their development into top class fighters.

The GRAPHIC SPORTS totally agrees with the GABF boss that the boxers’ absence from the three major international events would jeopardise their future since they would be denied the exposure such international competitions offer them in their development into top class fighters. By top class fighters, we mean they becoming world beaters when they graduate into the professional ranks later in life. But the opposite seems to be

By top class fighters, we mean they becoming world beaters when they graduate into the professional ranks later in life. But the opposite seems to be case in recent times as epitomised by the fifth round knock-out beating handed Obodai Sai by his Namibian opponent in their IBF/WBO Africa middleweight championship in Accra last weekend.Therefore, it goes without saying that such tendencies, as failure to support the amateur boxers, also frustrate the efforts of the various individuals who have been investing their time and resources to help revive amateur boxing in the country.

Therefore, it goes without saying that such tendencies, as failure to support the amateur boxers, also frustrate the efforts of the various individuals who have been investing their time and resources to help revive amateur boxing in the country. What was worse, we are told, the Brazzaville fiasco also affected the ambitions of four amateur boxing coaches, three referees and two cutmen who had earlier trained in an AIBA ITO Certification Course in Lome, Togo, and

What was worse, we are told, the Brazzaville fiasco also affected the ambitions of four amateur boxing coaches, three referees and two cutmen who had earlier trained in an AIBA ITO Certification Course in Lome, Togo, and were to undergo further training in Congo, Germany and Australia.It is, therefore, our humble plea to the MoYS to avoid a repeat of this incident which only brings reproach to the nation and also sends negative signals to the so-called lesser-known sports.

It is, therefore, our humble plea to the MoYS to avoid a repeat of this incident which only brings reproach to the nation and also sends negative signals to the so-called lesser-known sports.