Ashanti Pride gears for W. African title

Ashanti Region’s latest boxing sensation, Sarfo Bugri, takes his biggest step yet towards stardom when he engages Nigeria’s Simon Peter McIntosh on April 5, for the West Africa super lightweight title at the Kumasi Stadium.

The West Africa super lightweight championship fight tops a six-bout thriller to be staged by Sikaprix International Promotions of Accra.

Peter McIntosh, a former African Champion, is currently in Accra preparing for what he described as a fight for redemption at the Army Volunteer Force Base.

And the Ashanti Pride, Sarfo Bugri, has pitched his camp at his father’s Sarfo Hotel at Santasi, Kumasi, getting ready for the fight of his life.

Determined to inherit the legacies of featherweight Eric Odumasi and welterweight Kofi Jantuah, who are now based in the U.K. and U.S.A. respectively, Sarfo has been training twice a day at the Kumasi Stadium.

The number of well-wishers who turn out to give him morale support keeps increasing as the April 5 date draws near.

After Friday evening’s work-out at the Kumasi Stadium, Sarfo told the press that he draws a lot of energy from the increasing number of well-wishers and appealed to all sports lovers in Kumasi to turn up on the fight day to see the crowning of the next Ghanaian champion from the Ashanti Region.

Last March 14, Sarfo and McIntosh signed their contracts for the April 5 fight and then went into intensive training each promising a resounding victory. Other Ashanti-based fighters on the programme include lightwelterweight Baba Anarfo, welterweight Mohammed Amponsah and light middleweight Alhassan Danjumah. There will also be a ladies contest involving Yarkor Chavez and Amerley Turkson.