National Individual Championships: Amadu, Ashitey send warning shots ahead of C’wealth Games
The Bukom Boxing Arena crackled with electricity last Friday night as two of Ghana’s brightest ring talents — Amadu Mohammed and Mathias Ashitey — delivered emphatic statements at the 2026 National Individual Championships finals.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist and Accra 2023 African Games gold winner underlined his pedigree with a ruthless stoppage victory over Reginald Lamptey of the Charles Quartey Boxing Foundation in the 57kg featherweight division.
Lamptey was overwhelmed to such an extent that the referee stepped in barely a minute into the second round to prevent further punishment.
Now campaigning at 57kg, a division once ruled by legends such as Azumah Nelson and David Kotei (DK Poison), Amadu is clearly intent on carving his own chapter in Ghana’s storied boxing history.
His dominant display crowned him national champion and earned him the Best Boxer award for Part One of the Championships, which covered nine weight divisions from 92+kg down to 57kg.
He walked away with a GH¢5,000 voucher sponsored by Twellium Ghana Limited, producers of Verna Mineral Water.
Two-time Commonwealth Games medallist Abdul Wahid Omar, who stopped Henry Owusu in the 63.5kg contest, was adjudged second-best boxer and received GH¢3,000, while Ebenezer Ankrah claimed third place after a unanimous victory over James Okoe in the 60kg class.
If Amadu’s victory was clinical, Ashitey’s was captivating. The reigning SWAG Boxer of the Year and 2025 African Youth Championships gold medallist electrified the arena in what many described as the fight of the night, a pulsating 54kg bantamweight final against Caleb Mensah.
In an end-to-end contest that had fans on their feet, Ashitey edged the razor-tight bout via a 2–1 split decision, showcasing maturity beyond his years. For his efforts, he was named Best Boxer for Part Two of the finals and received a GH¢5,000 voucher from Verna.
Daniel Amoo (48kg) and Ibrahim Doku (51kg) also impressed, each earning split-decision victories and pocketing GH¢3,000 and GH¢2,000 vouchers, respectively. Doku notably defeated African Youth Championships gold medallist George Dowuona in a fiercely contested clash.
Other champions crowned on the night included 2025 African Youth Championships gold medallist Desmond Pappoe (75kg), Precious Akai Nettey (67kg), Solomon Sackey (80kg), Mubarak Armah (81kg), Dennise Dignnu (86kg), Jibrih Muntari (92kg) and Isaac Esiedu (92+kg).
The championships attracted a distinguished audience, including former world champions Joshua Clottey and Joseph Agbeko, representatives of the Ghana Olympic Committee, diplomats from Switzerland, the United States, the Czech Republic, Italy, Mexico and Brazil, the Australian High Commission, the Chinese community, GAMADA, Odododiodio MP Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie, as well as chiefs and traditional leaders.
For the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF), Dauda Fuseni hailed the depth of talent on display and revealed that both finalists in each division, alongside selected standouts eliminated earlier, will enter a non-residential camping next week as preparations intensify.
He further disclosed that foreign-born Ghanaian boxers who have expressed interest in representing the country will be invited to compete for places in the national team.
The Bombers are also scheduled to test themselves at the World Boxing Cup in Brazil from April 20–26, a crucial international benchmark ahead of Glasgow.
