Willpower Boxing Gym to produce world champions

Mr Napoleon Tagoe, the proprietor of Willpower Boxing Gym at James Town in Accra has predicted that he would produce at least four world champions from his stable in the near future.

Speaking to the GNA Sports on Wednesday, the former WBC rated super middleweight boxer said he has been able to pluck some "hard guys from the streets and away from crime" into the gym and vowed to groom them into world-beaters.

Mr Tagoe was particularly impressed by the qualities of welterweight, Solomon Tetteh who he described as "strong as steel, as aggressive as a wounded lion and as brave as a warrior."

He said there are many hard guys in the cities who are cast for boxing, but do not have the opportunity to train because of the dearth of training facilities and called on the central government and the Metropolitan Assembly to construct recreational centres for the youth.

"It is our goal to add a 'night school to the gym so that we could teach the boxers to read and write and raise their profile and confidence when they travel out for competition and we would appreciate if the Metropolitan Assembly and or the Member of Parliament would come to and partner us in this direction."

The former boxer said Ghana should take a cue from South Africa, which had provided many recreational centres to offer the unemployed youth an alternative enticement to crime, adding that "the move is reducing the crime rate in South Africa and they are producing good sportsmen including three world boxing champions."

"Corrie Sanders who knocked out Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine for the World Boxing Organisation heavyweight title a fortnight ago is just another example of the South African system."

He said he has decided to use boxing for the economic emancipation of the youth of the country at large and Odododiodo Constituency in particular, by producing world champions who would earn mega bucks and be able to set up businesses to absorb the unemployed.

The trainer said Ghana has the potential of boosting her tourism through boxing if quality boxers are produced, because lovers of the sport worldwide would throng the country to watch fights or visit some gyms where such boxers are baked.

"We can institute an annual boxing carnival for amateur and professional boxers, lasting a whole week and this could attract a lot of patronage if it is well done, adding that it could be more attractive than some of the festivals that are on tourism calendar."

Mr Tagoe advised boxing trainers in the country to endeavour to teach the correct techniques and guide their boxers to peak at the correct time for fights, adding that some boxers over-train and lose their strength before fights, while others go into the ring without mastering the art.

He implored those in charge of selection into the national boxing team, the Black Bombers to visit many gyms and select boxers who have the cutting edge so that Ghana boxing would see an accelerated revival