The National Trust Holding Company Limited (NTHC) yesterday presented a sponsorship package worth ?25 million to the Ghana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) in preparation for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, in July.

According to the NTHC, the company’s slogan “we grow money” moved them to lend a hand to GABA to nurture amateur boxing and ensure its success in the country. “The donation was therefore in response to the GABA’s call for assistance from corporate bodies like us to help restructure amateur boxing in the country,” the company added.

Unveiling the sponsorship package at a presentation ceremony at the Accra Stadium, the Head of Finance of NTHC, Mr William Tsatsu, who represented the Director, Dr A. W. Q. Barnor noted that the donation is to support the GABA to completely turnaround amateur boxing by helping the association to refurbish its boxing rings.

He confirmed that his company would support GABA in its endeavour to help raise the image of amateur boxing in the country and asked GABA not to hesitate to approach the company for help if the need arises. On his part, the Chairman of GABA, Mr Eddy Duplan, described the package as very wonderful and timely and called for the need to establish a fruitful relationship between the two partners.

He expressed GABA’s appreciation and gratitude to Mr Tsatsu, Mr Amponsah Dadzie and the entire NTHC membership for heeding its urgent appeal for aid saying “with this financial support GABA will work hard to bring amateur boxing back to where it belonged.” He promised that with the tremendous amount of push given to them by NTHC, the GABA would do everything humanly possible to bring medals from the Commonwealth Games, come July, and added “it is the association’s desire to develop the sport from the grass root.”

The items in the package included a new ring canvas, four new corner pads, new ring skirts, ring dressing and 12 ring boards. Other items included corner stools and steps, corner buckets and 12 water bottles, 20 white uniforms (shirts and trousers) and black bowties for GABA referees and judges, a decent colour television set and a video recorder to be used for training and organising seminars for boxers and officials, three sets of office desks and chairs as well as office supplies such as desk top calculators, staplers and A4 sheets.

The rest are amateur boxing equipment such as competition gloves, punching bag gloves and head gads worth about $1,200.