Black Rockets target world glory in intensive camp
Ghana’s national youth boxing team, the Black Rockets, have stepped up preparations for two of the biggest events on the global amateur calendar as the country’s brightest teenage prospects gear up for a shot at world and Olympic glory later this year.
Inside the Will Power Gym in Jamestown, Accra, where Ghanaian boxing greats were developed before them, 32 young boxers are currently in intensive non-residential camp ahead of the 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships in Montenegro and the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal.
Under the watchful eye of head coach Joseph Martey, the tactician who guided Ghana to an impressive three gold medals at last year’s African Youth Championships in Guinea, the camp has become a hive of punishing drills, tactical sessions and technical refinement as the Black Rockets prepare to test themselves against the world’s best emerging fighters.
Supported by four assistant trainers, Coach Martey has been driving the teenage boxers through demanding sessions designed to sharpen both their physical conditioning and ring intelligence before the high-stakes international assignments.
The World Boxing U-19 Championships will take place in Budva, Montenegro, from October 14 to 28, serving as the second edition of the competition following the inaugural tournament staged in Colorado, USA, in 2024.
Widely regarded as one of amateur boxing’s premier development platforms, the tournament is expected to attract elite teenage fighters from across the globe as nations begin grooming the next generation of Olympic contenders.
The competition is open to boxers born between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009.
After the Montenegro assignment, attention then shifts to Dakar, Senegal, where the Youth Olympic Games will run from October 31 to November 13, 2026.
That event is also open to fighters born between November 14, 2008, and December 31, 2009, placing several members of the current Black Rockets squad firmly in contention for selection.
Although Ghana missed the World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok in March — the qualifying tournament for the Dakar Games — hopes remain high that the country could secure wildcard places among the 120 available slots spread across 10 weight divisions.
The wildcard arrangement forms part of efforts to guarantee broad global representation across the 206 National Olympic Committees, with African nations expected to receive strong priority consideration as part of the continent’s youth development agenda.
For the young boxers, the upcoming competitions represent a critical pathway for rebuilding the country’s amateur boxing pipeline and preparing a new generation capable of restoring Ghana’s fading influence on the international stage.
Coach Martey believes the current crop possesses both the discipline and hunger to make a serious statement.
“We thank the GBF board for their efforts to support the team,” he told the Graphic Sports during a training session last Friday.
“These young chaps are determined to do something special for the nation. We are always ready to make the nation great and proud at these international competitions.”
