GBF dissolves Black Bombers after Olympics qualification fiasco
The President of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF), Bernard Quartey, has dissolved the national boxing team, the Black Bombers, following their failure to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
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This decision comes after the team's unsuccessful attempts to secure a spot in all three qualification events.
In an interview with Graphic Sports in Accra last Thursday, Mr Quartey stated, “It is normal to dissolve the team in these circumstances when we could not participate in a major international competition such as the Olympics.”
He hinted at the formation of a new national team through the organisation of individual championships in the coming months, aimed at selecting qualified boxers.
However, Mr Quartey could not provide a firm date for these championships, citing financial challenges.
However, he emphasised that the events would only occur once the GBF received sufficient financial support from the government and the corporate sector.
“We want to go back to the drawing board and study what went wrong and find solutions to it,” he added.
Despite the team’s dissolution, Mr Quartey clarified that the entire technical team would not be dissolved. Instead, the GBF plans to make changes by replacing some trainers and adding new ones.
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This move is seen as a strategy to address the shortcomings that led to the team’s failure to qualify for the Olympics.
In response to rumours about internal dissatisfaction within the GBF, Mr Quartey dispelled such claims, attributing them to miscommunication and misunderstanding.
He gave an assurance that these issues had been resolved and that the federation remained focused on its goal of developing and promoting boxing in Ghana.
The Black Bombers’ failure to qualify for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, despite their participation in all three qualifiers, has been a significant setback for Ghanaian boxing.
The last qualification attempt in Bangkok, Thailand, left many experts suggesting a complete overhaul of both the team and its technical handlers.