The President of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF), Mr. Dauda Fuseni, has set a goal to lead Ghana’s female boxers to the Olympic Games for the first time.
GBFA President shared his deep commitment to women’s boxing. “Female boxing is very dear to my heart because I believe in gender balance,” he stated.
While Ghanaian female boxers have competed at the Commonwealth Games, the Olympic stage remains uncharted territory. “I want to make history and be remembered for taking female boxers to the Olympic Games for the first time,” Fuseni declared.
He firmly believes that the national female boxing team, known as the Black Hitters, has the talent to succeed on the world stage. “The female boxers must also get the chance because they can also do their best to put Ghana on the world map in boxing,” he said. “I feel we should give the female boxers the same opportunities as the males.”
To build a strong team, the GBF plans to hold a special tournament solely for female boxers. This event will be used to select the Black Hitters squad, which will complement the national boxing teams. Fuseni noted that with the Commonwealth Games approaching in July and August, the Federation is working hard to prepare a good team to represent Ghana.
He highlighted some of the country’s top female boxers, including Trudy Manteaw of the Ghana Armed Forces, Perpetual Okaidja, Janet Acquah, soldier Faruza Osman, and Sarah Apaw, among others.
The ongoing National Individual Amateur Boxing Championship uncovered promising male talents like Samuel Plange, George Dowuona, and Mathias Ashitey. Dauda Fuseni congratulated the 26 male boxers who will compete in the finals.
He explained that the finals have been moved to the end of February. This allows the finalists more time to prepare and gives the GBF an opportunity to attract sponsors and invite special guests to watch the young athletes.
Ghana’s last Olympic boxing medal, a bronze, was won by Samuel Takyi at the Tokyo 2020 Games, ending a nearly 30-year wait. Now, under Mr. Fuseni’s leadership, the focus is on creating a new path to Olympic glory, this time, with Ghana’s women leading the charge.
Many top sports officials have promised to attend the rescheduled finals, signaling growing support for the next generation of Ghanaian boxers.