Ghana’s national amateur boxing team, the Black Bombers have arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, for the final qualifier for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The qualifiers dubbed “2nd World Qualifying Tournament” fixed for Thailand May 25, to Sunday, June 2, at the Indoor Stadium, would have 51 slots available for grabs (28 for the men & 23 for the women).
According to the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF), the boxers have gone through enough preparations at the back of the African Games success.
The five-week special non-residential training at the Accra Sports Stadium since Wednesday, 3rd April which continued at the Bukom Boxing Arena gym seems to have toughened them enough for the Bangkok challenge.
The team would be joined in Bangkok by US based Ornella Sathoud who would feature in the women’s Middleweight -75Kg and Leicester born UK based of Ghanaian descent Mark Kodjovi Ahondjo (Super Heavyweight -92Kg+).
The five Bombers who left Accra were; Theophilus Kpakpo Allotey, Flyweight-51kg, Amadu Mohammed, Featherweight-57Kg, Joseph Commey,Light Welterweight-63.5Kg, Henry Malm, Light Middleweight -71Kg and Mark Kodjovi Ahondjo, Super Heavyweight -92Kg+.
The team was led by Dauda Fuseini, the 1st Vice President of Ghana Boxing Federation -(GBF) with the technical crew of Coach Ofori Asare(Head Coach), Vicent Akai Nettey(1st Assistant Coach), Elvis Robertson(2nd Assistant Coach), Edward Asante(Team Doctor) and Daniel Quartey(Physiotherapist/Masseur).
Also to join the team in the Thai capital before the tournament starts are Officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC).
Boxing remains the leading medal prospects for Ghana at major international competitions, having won four of the total five medals the country can boast of since its participation in the Olympic games from 1952.
Clement Ike Quartey- Silver in the Light Welterweight,1960 in Rome, Eddie Blay – Bronze in the Light Welterweight,1964 in Tokyo, Prince Amartey, Middleweight,1972 in Munich and Samuel Takyi, Featherweight in Tokyo 2020.
GNA