From the ring to the classroom: How Prince De Henry is reshaping Ghana boxing’s future
In Ghana’s toughest boxing communities, where many young fighters see the ring as their only escape from poverty, one school in Laterbiokorshie, a suburb of Accra, is attempting something radically different — producing champions with books in one hand and boxing gloves in the other.
Prince De Henry Educational Complex is quietly building a model that blends education and boxing development, challenging the long-held culture of young athletes abandoning school in pursuit of professional fighting careers.
And the results are already beginning to show.
National super lightweight champion Africanus Neequaye and reigning WBA Africa and Commonwealth Silver super flyweight champion Michael Abban are among the institution’s standout success stories — young fighters who completed school in 2021 while simultaneously building careers inside the ring.
Their emergence has strengthened the growing belief that Ghanaian boxing can produce not only champions, but educated athletes equipped for life beyond sport.
Established in 2001, Prince De Henry Educational Complex has steadily integrated boxing into its educational structure through scholarships, mentorship and talent development programmes targeted at gifted but underprivileged youth.
More than 10 young boxers have already benefited from the initiative, which allows athletes to continue formal education while undergoing structured boxing training.
For the school’s Director, Achiebald Armah, the mission extends far beyond producing medal winners or future professional stars.
The bigger fight, he believes, is against the dangerous mindset that forces many talented youngsters to choose between education and sport.
“Boxing was adopted as a core sport because of its rich history in Ghana and its ability to instil discipline, focus, resilience and important life skills in young people,” Mr Armah explained.
He revealed the broader vision driving the project.
“The long-term goal is to build a national model that integrates education and sports development for youth empowerment,” he revealed.
Neequaye became the first boxer to benefit from the programme, laying the foundation for what has evolved into one of the country’s most interesting grassroots sports-development projects.
Michael Abban’s entry into the school system also came through a major figure in Ghanaian boxing.
Former IBF lightweight world champion Richard Commey facilitated Abban’s admission after becoming an ambassador for the school following his world title triumph in 2019.
The institution has since continued to deepen its links with the boxing industry.
Currently, respected boxing matchmaker Yusif Mubarak Nanor serves as an ambassador of the school and recently sponsored educational scholarships for 10 young boxers from the Ga-Mashie enclave.
Four of those athletes have already been enrolled while continuing their daily training programmes.
Among the next generation emerging from the initiative are two highly rated 14-year-old prospects — Prince Larbie, popularly known as “The Buzz”, and Samuel Plange.
Larbie, who trains under his father at Will Power Gym in James Town, recently announced himself by emerging as the best boxer at the Accra Box Cup tournament.
Plange, meanwhile, captured the 48kg title at the 2026 National Individual Championships and has already earned a place in the national youth team, the Black Rockets.
What makes the Prince De Henry project particularly significant is that its intervention extends beyond athletic performance.
Beneficiaries also receive academic support, mentorship and career guidance designed to prepare them for opportunities outside boxing.
Since 2017, the institution has partnered Streetwise Management to strengthen athlete development and career progression pathways.
The long-term ambitions are even bigger. The school plans to expand its scholarship programme nationwide, establish a more structured boxing academy system and create international opportunities for student-athletes.
