Osei Asibey Rejects Ofori Asare’s Excuses Over Black Bombers’ Commonwealth Games Campaign
Charles Osei Asibey, President of the Africa Armwrestling Federation, Vice President of the World Armwrestling Federation and founder of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation, has dismissed Black Bombers head coach Ofori Asare’s explanation for Ghana’s disappointing boxing campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, insisting the veteran trainer should accept responsibility.
The Black Bombers returned from Glasgow with just one bronze medal, with Ofori Asare attributing the outcome to logistical setbacks and distancing himself from the selection of the squad.
“I wasn’t involved in selecting the final team. I only came in to train the boxers once the selection had been made,” Ofori Asare said, adding that the team also lacked essential equipment during the competition.
“We didn’t receive kits during the tournament. At one point, three boxers had to share a single pair of boxing shorts, and we even borrowed training gear from the centre just to prepare,” he revealed.
Asibey Challenges Coach’s Defence
Reacting to the coach’s comments, Osei Asibey said the explanations did not justify the team’s performance.
“Coach Ofori Asare should just admit that he failed,” he said.
Osei Asibey further claimed the Ghana Boxing Federation had initially been reluctant to send Ofori Asare to the Commonwealth Games, although he declined to elaborate on the reasons.
Despite his criticism of the Black Bombers, Osei Asibey praised Team Ghana’s overall performance, arguing that the country’s campaign should be viewed beyond the medal count.
He noted that several Ghanaian athletes reached the finals, semi-finals and quarter-finals of their events, including sprinters Benjamin Azamati and Joseph Paul Amoah, while the men’s 4x100m relay team narrowly missed out on a medal after Canada successfully appealed against an initial disqualification.
According to him, those performances reflected a respectable outing despite Ghana finishing the Games with only two medals and no gold.