Matchmaker hands scholarships to 10 rising boxers
In a community where boxing is often seen as the only ladder out of hardship, Mubarak Yusif Nanor is building a second ladder — through education.
The leading Ghanaian boxing matchmaker, promoter and manager has launched a corporate social responsibility initiative that will award full educational scholarships to 10 needy, aspiring young boxers in the Ga-Mashie enclave.
Nanor, who runs SafeBox Boxing Promotions and Management in Accra and has built a reputation for empowering grassroots boxing talent, is partnering the Prince De Henry Educational Complex at Laterbiokorshie to fund the beneficiaries’ education, from now through to whatever level they can attain, while they continue to pursue their boxing careers.
The initiative forms part of activities marking Nanor’s birthday on February 22, but its impact promises to extend far beyond the celebrations.
As an Ambassador of the Prince De Henry Educational Complex, Nanor is spearheading what has been christened the Mubarak Yusif Nanor (MYN) Scholarship Initiative, a programme designed to blend discipline in the ring with excellence in the classroom.
“This is a celebration of talent, discipline and opportunity,” Nanor told the Graphic Sports.
“The initiative ensures that talented athletes can pursue both education and sport with dignity and discipline.
In the lead-up to next Monday’s scholarship awards ceremony on the school’s premises in Laterbiokorshie, Nanor and his team have been on the ground, scouring the heartlands of Ghanaian boxing for deserving recipients.
Last week alone, the MYN Scholarship team toured eight gyms in Ga-Mashie, including Jamestown Boxing Club, Black Panthers, Discipline Gym, Charles Quartey Boxing Foundation, Akotoku, Wisdom and Sonia gyms. A sizeable number of potential beneficiaries have already been identified, with visits to other gyms ongoing.
For Nanor, this initiative is deeply personal. His love affair with boxing began in a compound house where he lived alongside some of the sport’s respected trainers, including the late Emmanuel Tagoe, popularly known as Coach Akese, at the famed Black Panthers Gym.
As a youngster, he would watch elite fighters such as Joshua Clottey, Emmanuel Clottey, Emmanuel “Game Boy” Tagoe and Osumanu Yahaya hone their craft at the Kaneshie Sports Complex.
That early exposure ignited a passion which, 12 years ago, he formalised by acquiring a matchmaker’s licence.
However, it was after the COVID-19 pandemic that Nanor truly emerged as a force within Ghana’s boxing ecosystem. In April 2021, he staged his first major matchmaking assignment, pairing Moses Adjei Selby against Michael Decardi Nelson on a Winbase Promotions bill at the Bukom Boxing Arena.
Since then, Nanor's ascent has been swift. He evolved into one of the most influential figures in the local fight scene, operating variously as matchmaker, inspector and promoter, while also managing boxer John
“Magic Man” Quaye. His profile soared further when he teamed up with Sharaf Mahama’s Legacy Rise Sports (RSL) Promotions as a matchmaker.
Together, they delivered two blockbuster promotions in June and December last year — both broadcast globally on DAZN — featuring headline bouts such as Jonathan “Worldwide” Tetteh against Freezy Macbones.
In a community where boxing has long offered an escape route from hardship, the matchmaker is adding education as a critical layer. The scholarships will cover school fees and other essential needs, ensuring the young fighters can chase titles without sacrificing their academic futures.
Next Monday’s ceremony may mark a birthday celebration, but for 10 young fighters, it could be the first round of a far more important victory.
