Boxers urged to contribute towards their future

Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister for Education, Youth and Sports (YES) has urged boxers who have reached their peak to make savings for their future benefit by contributing towards the sports endowment fund.

Speaking at a presentation of the International Boxing Association (IBA) Intercontinental Junior Welterweight belt by the champion, Emmanuel Clottey in Accra on Thursday, the Minister said recent interaction with old athletes revealed that life has not been easy for them since most have not made adequate savings.

Clottey won the title on November 24 last year in the United States of America after winning a unanimous points decision over Jesus Santiago in a vacant title fight.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said it is important that sportsmen and women live in better conditions well after their peak time in sports to serve as an encouragement to the up and coming generation to go into sports. He employed the boxer to be disciplined to his chosen profession and to respect his handlers since that is the only way he can win more laurels for himself and the country.

Mr Baah-Wiredu asked Clottey to be a good ambassador for the country like his predecessors such as the Floyd Klutei Robertson's, Azumah Nelson's and Ike Quartey's who put Ghana on the world map of boxing.

He tasked the Ghana Amateur Boxing Authority (GABA) and the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) "to work together for the future of Ghana boxing since smaller countries with no history in sport are gradually over taking us".

The Minister again asked the GBA to allow amateur boxers to properly mature before they are taken to the professional ranks since most of them fade out in no time in the fast world of professionalism. He said he was optimistic for the success of the future of boxing in the country and hoped that the GBA will put in measures to ensure that the country gets more world champions.

Mr Prince Bruce Quaye, local manager of Clottey in an interview with the GNA Sports said the belt would be the stepping pad for more recognized world titles for his ward since it would open the doors for more fights with the big guys in the division.

He said his ward is determined and prepared to reach the very best in the weight category and ready to sacrifice every sinew in him to reach the high levels reached by his predecessors.

He said the performance of Clottey in the USA has made most of his opponents sit up and try to avoid him but he was optimistic that by the end of the year his ward will be given a shot at the world title. He said as a warm up to the defence of the title, Clottey would engage in a warm up 10 round fight on January 24 with an opponent yet to be named.

Present at the ceremony were Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Minister of State at the ministry of YES, Mr Joe Aggrey, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Moses Foh Amoaning, Vice President of the GBA and Emmanuel Clottey, the champion and his team of advisors.