Ashitey defeats Israeli opponent to secure second win for Ghana's Black Rockets at IBA World Youth Tourney

Seventeen-year-old Mathias Ashitey secured Ghana's second victory at the ongoing 2024 International Boxing Association (IBA) World Youth Championship in Budva, Montenegro, with a convincing 4-1 win over Maik Eliyahu Tayber of Israel on the third day of the competition.

Ashitey entered the fight aware that the Black Rockets had secured only one win in four bouts to start their campaign in the European country. He ensured Ghana's representation in the last 16 of the flyweight (51 kg) category by dominating the match and out-punching the Israeli boxer, earning the favour of four of the five judges.

Ashitey's victory on Friday, October 25, means that three Ghanaian fighters remain in contention at the ongoing global boxing tournament, following a series of mixed results that have seen three others eliminated in just three days of the competition.

Ghana is competing at this level for the first time, represented by six fighters under the leadership of head trainer Charles Quartey. Three of them went into action on the opening day, Wednesday.

18-year-old Ebenezer Ankrah was the first to secure a victory for Ghana, after winning 4-1 against Matej Marton of Croatia in the 60 kg (lightweight) category, which advances him to the last 32.

However, Francis Quartey was less fortunate, losing to Ortiz Diego Yaniel Nieves of Puerto Rico in the 57 kg (featherweight) division by a unanimous 0-5 decision. Levi Nii Ayi Mensah Ankrah faced a similar fate, also falling by unanimous decision to Artiom Tolstoi of Moldova in the light welterweight (63 kg) category, both in the round of 64.

On Thursday, only one Ghanaian entered the ring, but once again, there was no success. Light middleweight Desmond Pappoe narrowly lost to Ivan Siniak of Belarus by a close 2-3 split decision in the round of 64.

Following his victory on Friday, young Ashitey now joins George Nii Nortey Dowuona—who received a bye in the minimum weight (48 kg) category—in the round of 16. Both fighters are set to compete for quarter-final spots on Sunday.

Dowuona will face Korea's Kwon Il Kim, who defeated Ivan Kubarchev of Russia 4-1 in the round of 16, while Ashitey will take on Emal Handan of Afghanistan, who stopped Sierra Leone's Saidu Kabia in the first round on Friday.

The first of Ghana's three remaining fighters in Montenegro to take the ring next is Ebenezer Ankrah, who is aiming for a spot in the round of 16 on Saturday against Harold Armin Santos Mancilla, the Mexican who received a bye to this stage.