Laatekwei Hammond in Ukraine for WBO Inter-continental title

Interim WBO Africa Middleweight champion Laatekwei Hammond departs Accra Tuesday morning in the company of his trainer Emmanuel Yeboah and manager Samuel Ogbamey Tetteh for Kiev, Ukraine where he faces unbeaten home favourite Max Bursak on Saturday for the WBO Inter-continental Middleweight belt.

Bursak (23-0-1, 9 KOs), makes a 4th defence of the title he first won in April 2010 at the Sport Palace in the Ukrainian capital but Ghanaian Laatekwei (18-5, 11 Kos), remains adamant he will return home victorious after Saturday night’s bout.

He says his own journey to realise the childhood dream of becoming a world champion begins now and there can be no turning back. Laatekwei has therefore vowed to overcome all impediments to claim victory on Saturday, notwithstanding the expected hostile home crowd backing for the 27 year old Ukrainian.

“This is the chance I’ve been waiting for all my life and now that it’s been presented to me I don’t have any excuses why I won’t take. In fact, I am using both hands to clutch it tightly.

“I have prepared well and I’m motivated to win because such an opportunity may not come again. I ask my fans and all Ghanaians to remember in their prayers and I will not disappoint them,” Laatekwei Hammond confidently told Sportsinghana.com.