Asiamah showed no interest in boxing - Veteran boxer expresses joy at new minister appointment

Abdul Rashid Williams, a veteran boxing trainer and match-maker, has expressed great joy at the replacement of former Sports Minister, Isaac Asiamah, with Minister-designate, Mustapha Yussif.

In his estimation, the former minister showed no interest in supporting or developing the sport while failing at appreciating the challenges in the boxing world.

“When he was the minister, the United Boxing Coaches Association (UBCA) wrote to him for a meeting to deliberate the future of the sport but he completely ignored us,” he told the Graphic Sports in an interview in Accra last Thursday.

A former executive Secretary of the National Service Secretariat, Mohammed Yussif was named by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was replacement for Isaac Asiamah, as the president begins his second tenure are Head of State.

He explained further that the reason he is excited about the exit of Asiamah is that he concentrated all his energies on only football, to the neglect of other affairs of the sector including the development of boxing.

“As for Asiamah, the least said about him the better. He came only for football, he was not interested in boxing and cared less about the sport,” he stated.

He continued that, “I will congratulate the new minister and wish to inform him that when he is vetted, approved and sworn into office, he must meet us. We the boxing coaches will again write to him for a meeting; he should take boxing seriously because the sport is dying,” he stated.

With the ravages, Coronavirus has caused to the world in general, and sports in perspective, he said, the sport and many boxers, as well as young talents have lost interest in the discipline.

His hope is that with the coming of this new minister, life and love will be brought back to the sport.

“When boxing is developed and better investments are made properly, it creates jobs for the youth and government also rakes in the needed revenue. Boxing is the face of Ghana Sports,” he stressed.

Mohammed Yussif will make his appearance before Parliament’s Appointment Committee on Thursday, February 25, 2021, to be vetted.