Major and Latest Boxing news in Ghana

Boxing trainer and manager, Charles Quartey, says banned trainer Sulemana Martey deserved some form of punishment for inciting fans to cause mayhem at the Bukom Boxing Arena on October 29 during a fight involving Godwin Tetteh and John Zile.

He, however, believed that the one-year ban and a fine of GH¢5,000 was outrageous and needed to be reduced.

“I support some form of punishment to be meted out to him but what was handed to him was too harsh. At most a three-month suspension would have been fine,” Quartey told Graphic Sports in an exclusive telephone interview in Accra last Wednesday.

He blamed Coach Martey for feeding red meat to the fans when he stood in the ring and dramatised to the fans that he had been cheated and that his boxer deserved to win.

“The way he behaved in the ring and how he incited the fans to destroy chairs and other equipment at the arena was not in good taste,” he noted.

Coach Quartey, who owns and manages the Charles Quartey Boxing Gym located near the Timber Market in Accra, warned that the sport risked being thrown into a state of oblivion if stakeholders continued to cause disturbances while leadership remained autocratic.

“We have a president of the GBA who is not a good listener but is very autocratic. What he says is final and we have other rebels who want to take it to him, but this will not augur well for our sport,” he said.

He wondered why experienced ring officials such as Michael Neequaye, Roger Barnor and Erasmus Owuo have abandoned ship and no longer officiate fights in the De-Luxy Professional Boxing League.

“What we see are green-horns officiating in the league and that has caused major disturbances between officials, coaches and managers,” he bemoaned.

Nonetheless, Coach Quartey believed that the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) President, Mr Abraham Kotei Neequaye, and his team had shored up the sport in the country and therefore needed to be supported as they prepared to listen to opposing views.

“The sport is at the crossroads and we can't throw the babe away with the bath water. We must support the GBA but Mr Kotei Neequaye must be a good listener who must be ready to tolerate others,” he stated.

It will be recalled that the GBA banned Sulemana Martey of Sonia Boxing Gym for a year for misconducting himself at the Bukom Boxing Arena during the De-Luxy Professional Boxing League on October 29. Martey was also fined GH¢5,000 to be paid immediately or face further sanctions.

The ban, which took effect from November 2, 2022, followed an investigation conducted by the GBA Arbitration Committee which found Coach Martey guilty of instigating his supporters to cause mayhem, attack ring officials and destroy properties after the bout involving Godwin Tetteh and John Zile.