Ghana’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, Samuel Takyi will step into the ring for his first professional fight on January 29, 2022.

Takyi who turns 21 on December 23 has signed a managerial and promotional contract with Bazooka Promotions, a syndicate owned by boxing legend Ike Quartey.

He told the media he was ready to kick-start his pro journey to become a future world champion.

“If everything goes as planned, I will make my professional debut next month under Ike Quartey. I am glad I made that choice because I believe he has what it takes to lead me to where I want to be in the future,” said Takyi.

The former World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Ike Quartey is expected to coach the ‘Ring Warrior’ and lead him to become a super star.

Takyi said he is happy to be in the camp of the former world champion, and he is not looking back.

“I see it to be an honour to be associated with a legend like Ike Quartey. The fact that he wants to lead me to greatness also motivated me to sign with him,” he said.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Mukaila Hakeem (Ghana Airforce) and Rashaka Katadat (Ghana Army) were named overall best players in the men and women’s division respectively at the end of the two day Super Volleyball Championship held at the Ga Mashie Hall of the Trust Sports Emporium in Accra.

Ghana Army’s Charity Torku and Paul Akan of the Ghana Police walked away with the Best Setter Award. Asante Ernest of the Ghana Army was named as the coach of the tournament.

Best Libero went to Juliana Aryee (Police) and Isaac Owusu (Army), Best Outside was taken by Rashaka katadat (Army) and Augustine Gyamrah (Air Force), Best Opposite went to Mary Ampong (El Wak Wings) and Mukaila Hakeem ( Air Force).

Best Middle Blocker was presented to Rejoice Agbwadah (Police) and Ben Azumah (Police), Best Server went to Grace Dagadu (El Wak Wings) and Nicholas Tetteh (Air Force).

Ghana Airforce (Men) & Ghana Army (Women) emerged the champions.

Final Ranking

Men

1. Ghana Airforce
2. Ghana Police
3. Ghana Army

Women

1. Ghana Army
2. El Wak Wings
3. Ghana Airforce

Ghana Air Force won the Most Discoplined Team.

By sammy heywood okine

The Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) has congratulated the reigning WBC Youth Silver Super Featherweight Champion and UBO African Featherweight champion, Alfred Lamptey for being named as the 2021 professional boxer of year by Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) last Friday night at the Accra International Conference Centre for the 46th SWAG Awards ceremony.

Lamptey is managed by Box Office which has Mr. Alex Ntiamoah – Boakye as the CEO and trained by Coach Eben Adjei aka ‘Killer’ of the Black Panthers Gym at James Town in Accra.

The statement issued by the Communications Directorate of the GBA said: Alfred Lamptey,the GBA believes in your ability to keep your head above water as you look forward to achieve more success domestically and at the global level.

On behalf of stakeholders within the professional boxing enclave, the GBA expresses profound gratitude to SWAG for this high-rated recognition and award to one of our finest young boxers and a world title prospect.

The GBA is highly optimistic that this recognition accorded you, will go a long way to motivate you to do your utmost best to live up to the billing of winning more laurels including a world title in no time. It will undoubtedly ignite the passion of your colleagues and young up and coming boxers to do their utmost best to emulate you.

The GBA also seized the opportunity to also congratulate Mr. George Lamptey for winning the SWAG sports admistrator of the year 2021, Coach Ofori Asare for the SWAG best national team coach of the year 2021 and Samuel Takyi for emerging the SWAG ultimate sports personality of the year 2021.

The GBA is looking forward to more of such recognitions and awards to help shape the vision of professional boxing in Ghana and at the same time  add value to its brand and corporate identity.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

ACE Power Promotions deeply regret to announce the postponement of it’s scheduled press conference to Thursday 23 December, 5-7 pm at same La-Palm Royal Beach Hotel due to change in arrival time of Jackson Minyilingi, opponent of Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab in the main bout, a WBO Africa junior lightweight championship this Saturday, Christmas Day December 25

The Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF) has begun a youth development project at Aburi Girls Senior High School, aimed at increasing interest in the combat sport with an eye on the post-COVID-19 era.

The event took place in the town of Aburi and was funded by the African Taekwondo Union (AFTU).

More than 100 female participants took part.

GTF general secretary Adnan Odartey Lamptey held a theoretical session on the theme "Taekwondo for Physical and Mental Discipline".

Maxwell Theodore Alornyo, together with a demonstration team, handled the practical sessions.

GTF President and AFTU Development Committee chairman Frederick Lartey Otu called for participants to continue practising the sport.

"You are fortunate to be the first school to benefit from the programme in Ghana and I can see that most of you want to continue," said the GTF leader.

"Female athletes like you have been doing tremendously and I have no doubt that you can take over and do better and be the best in your region and Ghana.

"We are beginning to encourage young ones like you to practice the sport.

"It has been the mission of the African Taekwondo Union President, Mr Ide Issaka to develop and promote youth in taekwondo and that is why this project has come to light.

"That is a good mission and I can see it's impact already here."

Three participants, Allor Murijana Wekia, Precious Niminye and Nancy Nhyirabea Mante, who passed a theoretical and practical test, were presented with uniforms as prizes.

The GTF education team is to visit two other schools to wrap up the programme this week.

National Federations from Senegal, Madagascar, South Africa, Gabon, Mauritania and Ethiopia have also won AFTU grants for development projects.

By Michael Houston 

Former Secretary General of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC)  Mr. Richard Akpokavie has called for support for more amateur boxing.

Speaking to Yours Truly on the recent Ghana Boxing Federation  (GBF) elections, he expressed his surprise at the lose of Mr. George Lamptey and wished him better luck next time.

Mr. Akpokavie who is a lawyer and former President of the Ghana Hockey Association said boxing has proved to be the sport that wins laurels for the nation, so the government and corporate bodies must support the GBF.

He said it is about time that sports authorities realize the potentials of the nation’s best sports performers and invest in them.

According to him, sports success comes by long term planning and preparations, so he would advise that the best amateur boxers should be motivated and encouraged by camping them in countries where they can train to become super stars, so that they can win gold.

He expressed that Ghanaian boxers are capable of winning gold at international competition, and it should not be one boxer exceling always like Samuel Takyi alone at Tokyo 2020, Jessie Lartey alone at Gold Coast 2018 or Shakul Samed alone at Rabat 2019, but there should be three or four boxers returning with medals.

He prayed that Ghana will shine with more medals at the next Commonwealth Games and African Games.

He also advised the new GBF executives to work hard in training more coaches and referee/judges.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Mr. Mustapha Nettey, the newly elected Treasurer of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation (GBF) has promised to work hard within the four years mandate given the new administration to attract sponsorship to develop and promote the fundamentals of boxing in Ghana.

Speaking to Yours Truly, the University of Ghana alumini commended the previous administration for their service, and promised to continue from where they left off, however he thinks much ought to be done for the juvenile and youth which he and Coach Charles Quartey have been working on in the past months.

According to Nettey, who is also a boxing ring announcer and secretary of the Ghana Boxing Supporters Union (GHABSU), there should be funds available to work as money is what they need most to perform.

He called on corporate bodies to look at the sport that has given the nation more laurels and invest in boxing especially the amateur level.

He hinted that boxing talents abound in the country as he was involved in a Besesaka Tournament at Bukom Square over the weekend and it attracted 18 clubs as well as over 6,000 spectators, with some of them exhibiting raw talent and skill.

He expressed the all these youthful boxers and juveniles must be put in schools or guided to be educated to an appreciable level.

Mr. Mustapha Nettey said he prays that the new administration will work as a team and develop boxing all over the country.

He also appealed to the media for full support as sports and media are bed fellows, and publicity on boxing would encourage the boxers and the corporate entities.

He stressed that the future is very bright, because there are many unknown talents like Samuel Takyi who nobody knew, but was able to represent Ghana at the Olympic Games and brought home a medal.

“We have to work hard in scouting who are the potential medal hopes, and build the capacity of our trainers and officials to earn stars so that they can rub shoulders with other officials at the international level” he said.

He thanked all the delegates who contributed to the elective congress held last Saturday.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Air Force (Men) And Army (Ladies) Win Gold At First Super Volleyball Championship

Ghana Air Force Male Volleyball Team and Ghana Army Female Volleyball Squad shared honours at the first ever Super Volleyball Championship held at the Trust Sports Emporium (Ga Mashie Hall).

Both winning teams took home cash prizes of 2,500ghc each plus gold medals and glittering trophies. The first runner up took home 1,500ghc plus silver medals and the second runner up got 1,000ghc in addition to bronze medals.

The strong Ghana Air Force defeated Ghana Police in the Men’s Final, while sensational Ghana Army also beat the exciting El Wak Wings in the Ladies Final.

Army (Men) fought hard to grab the bronze medals after eliminating Ghana Prisons, while Ghana Air Force won the ladies bronze medals ahead of Ghana Police who also put up a spirited performance.

Most outstanding players and best coaches were also rewarded with trophies and plaques respectively.

The finals which started on Sunday afternoon and  ended in the early hours of Monday were very exciting and brought out some amazing displays by the players.

Organiser and Team leader, Mr. Mohammed Aputeog commended the players and officials as well as the media who stayed all night long to cover the event.

He promised that next year would be bigger and better.

He added that the tournament is to create awareness on volleyball as an entertaining and competitive sport that can attract corporate support.

Some dignitaries who graced the finals were Mr. Benard Mornah, DSP Daniel Boateng, Alfred Ofei Akuffo and George Tettey, chairman of the Greater Accra Volleyball Association.

The clubs that participate were Ghana Air Force (Male & Female), Ghana Police (Male & Female), Ghana Army(Male & Female), El Wak Wings (Male & Female), Ghana Prisons (Male & Female) and Tema City (Male), Ghana Immigration (Female).

The Super Volleyball Competition was organized by Anaba Capital with the aim of promoting the game of volleyball to a higher level, and players in form as Ghana prepares to host the 13^th African Games.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Samuel ‘Ring Warrior’ Takyi, Ghana’s only medal winner at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games was adjudged the Sports Personality of the Year at the 46th SWAG Awards held last Friday at the Accra International Conference Center (AICC).

The Olympic bronze medalist came up top after facing opposition from Daniel Afriyie Barnieh from Accra Hearts of Oak and the 4x100m athletics team.

Takyi was also awarded as the amateur boxer of the year, while the Black Bombers coach, Dr. Ofori Asare was voted best national team coach.

He thanked the President, Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo-Addo, for his support during and after their participation in the Tokyo Games as well as the Youth and Sports Minister, President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), and his coach for making him a medal-winning Olympian.

He also announced that he would be switching from an amateur boxer to a professional boxer. He named former WBA Welterweight champion, Ike Bazooka Quartey as his new trainer.

This year’s edition of the awards was held under the theme; “Ghana Sports in the post Covid-19 era, a business approach” and was aimed at honoring sportsmen and women as well as corporate bodies and individuals who contributed to the development of sports in the year 2021.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) newly elected Vice-President Dauda Fuseni has promised to work hard to lift the image of amateur boxing in Ghana.

He told Your Truly in an exclusive interview that he will support the capacity building of boxing officials especially referees and coaches.

He also promised to work closely with the media, who are very important in the development and promotion of sports.

Dauda Fuseni who polled a landslide of 63 votes against Mohammed Abdul Samadu 23 votes and Abdul Rasheed Williams aka ‘Believer’ 17 votes on Saturday at the elections at the Accra Sports Stadium hinted that he really worked hard moving up north and other places to meet the delegates to vote wisely.

He also feted juvenile boxers by donating items as packs of Fanta, biscuits, Ceres drinks and finally popped champagne to grace the occasion as form of motivation.

"The juvenile team were breaking for Christmas holidays and therefore I visited them together with Mustapha Nettey who is also aspiring for a treasurer position to encourage them and let them see the importance of what they are practising and the benefits they stand to gain from it," Mr. Dauda said.

"I made my intention clear to the team and urged the boxers to ask their coaches from their respective gyms to vote for me as I have pack of plans to transform the Ghana Boxing Federation back to its glory days.

"I also advised them of the need to take their education seriously because it will go a long way to help them in their boxing career or any other career they dwell themselves in the future."

By Sammy Heywood Okine