'GBA must crack the whip on Banku and Powers' - Former GBA Boss

Mr Moses Foh Amoaning, the former Chairman of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), has said the authority must punish Braimah “Bukom Banku” Kamoko and Michael “Ayitey Powers” Ayitey for exhibiting unprofessional conducts, to deter others from engaging in similar acts of indiscipline.

“Image is one of the biggest problems in boxing. Looking for sponsorship is about image and if you have a situation where boxers are people who are supposed to be liked but are misbehaving, then they are not selling out the right image,” he said.

Mr Amoaning, who spoke in an interview with GNA Sports, said the GBA, as an authority must not let such misbehaviours go unpunished because boxers were licensees of the authority and subjected to its rules.

He said the name of the boxing governing body in Ghana meant it had been entrusted with the power to discipline.

“We have code of ethics, which must be adhered to by the boxers. They must not go out and misbehave. The GBA must rework its rules and publish those rules. Because the boxers know that, they are not supposed to be fighting and misbehaving outside the ring.

“Which sponsor would want to be associated with a sport that has a negative image? So if they misbehave, they must be subjected to the GBA code of ethics, so they can be punished,” he said.

The former GBA Chairman however urged the media to focus on upcoming boxers like Isaac Dogboe, Duke Micah, since they are the right boxers to sell he image of the sport to the world.

“The good news is that Banku and Powers are at the later stages of their career. There are other young and great boxers like Isaac Dogbeo, who just won the WBO Super Bantamweight title in a brilliant fight in the USA. There are other great boxers like Richard Commey, who is a world title contender”, he added.

Reports last month said a Circuit Court had issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Braimah Kamoko popularly known as “Bukom Banku,” for failing to appear before it.

The boxer was reported to have been facing charges of assault, causing damage and two counts of causing harm but failed to attend court when the case was called on Tuesday, April 17, together with five others, four of whom were at large.

Ayitey Powers, was also reported to have been in Police custody for defrauding three people, one of whom was a former Accra Hearts of Oak player Eugene Addo earlier this month.

The 37-year-old boxer, and actor part-time, was is in police cell at the James Town Police Station following his arrest.