GBA revokes Bukom Banku’s licence

The Ghana Boxing Association (GBA) has, until further notice, revoked the professional licence of Ghanaian boxer Brimah Kamako, popularly known as Bukom Banku.

The GBA’s decision, taken last Thursday after a Disciplinary Committee meeting, is as a result of  breach of contract.

Bukom Banku failed to honour a contract he had with Box Office Promotions for a rematch with Bastie Samir who handed him his first defeat.

A source confirmed that the GBA’s Disciplinary Committee suspended the boxer’s licence following a round of hearings which concluded that the former African light heavyweight champion had breached his contract with Box Office Promotions.

Contract

Banku and Bastie Samir signed a contract to fight in a rematch on June 20, 2018. This followed a well-publicised cruiserweight bout that saw Samir overcome Banku with a seventh-round technical knockout (TKO) at the Bukom Boxing Arena on October 21, 2017. The win was significant for Samir, an Olympian, considering that it was Banku’s only loss in his professional career.

Hefty fine

Bukom Banku has also been ordered to pay GH¢17,000 to the CEO of Box Office Promotions, Alex Ntiamoah, who had paid the said amount as part of the boxer’s training allowance and purse.

The Box Office Promotions CEO has also been granted special permission to seek relief from the courts if the boxer fails to pay the amount owed.

 Ntiamoah is the same person who pulled off the blockbuster local bout between Bukom Banku and Ayitey Powers (Michael Ayitey Okine) at the Accra Stadium on July 16, 2014, which attracted almost 20,000 fans.

Bukom Banku

Banku has been one of the entertaining fighters in the country since bursting onto the scene in the early 2000s.

Since becoming a professional fighter, he has won the African Boxing Union (ABU) and WBO Africa light heavyweight titles.

He recently won his first fight outside the country by knocking out his Hungarian opponent, Ferenc Albert.

Banku earned the victory after dropping the Hungarian in Round 3 at St George Hall in Bradford, UK on Saturday, September 7.

He now has a fight record of 30 wins and a loss, with 23 coming by knockout.