Goldstar Airlines support juvenile boxing

The indigenous airline has yet to begin work but they have already shown commitment to sports development by backing Will Power Gym to tap boxing talents between ages 12-16.

The future of Ghana boxing received a massive boost on Monday when incoming Ghanaian owned airline, Goldstar Airlines donated equipment and cash totalling GH¢18,000 (eighteen thousand Ghana Cedis) to the Will Power Boxing Gym in support and commissioning their nationwide talent hunt in the fistic sport.

Will Power Gym owner, Napoleon Tagoe himself a former Ghana, Africa and Intercontinental boxing champion has vowed to harness and nurture thousands of talented boxers across the length and breadth of this country should he get the needed infrastructural and financial support.

That help seems to have arrived now in the form of Goldstar Airlines, who are still waiting for inspection by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and consequent authorisation to proceed with operation of their intended Accra to London (UK), Baltimore (US) and Guangzhou (China) flights.

Keen to rejuvenate juvenile boxing which has been on the quiet for some time now, Seasons Travel and Tours, operators of Goldstar Airlines are teaming up with Will Power Gym to help stem the rise of young people with boxing talents but rather find themselves on the streets by staging boxing matches every weekend for potential boxers between the ages of 12 and 16 across all the regions to be codenamed 'roaming gym.'

"A lot of our people are talented but are not utilised, they were born to be boxers but due to lack of support, a lot go wasted. We want to help tap and develop these talents wherever they are in Ghana. From next Sunday, the roaming gym will go to all the 10 regions with road shows as well. " Eric Bannerman, CEO of Goldstar Airlines told Allsports.com.gh exclusively.

"We'll continue to support the talents identified and take them to South Africa, London, USA and Cuba for further training by some of the best trainers in world boxing. In the end, we intend to produce more world champions for Ghana," added Mr. Bannerman, also Founder and President of the Ghana Disabled Supporters Union.

“Goldstar is Ghanaian owned; it can also fly the Ghana flag. A Ghanaian is capable of doing charters and we can't wait to begin flying the flag on our flights and also boxing through our roaming gyms," the Goldstar Airlines chief noted.

In the event, the GH¢18,000 donation encompassed five thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢5,000) for recruitment of juvenile boxers, another GH¢5,000 for the construction of the roaming boxing gym, while the boxing gloves, headgear and mouthpieces handed out to the Will Power Gym cost GH¢ 8,000.

Napoleon Tagoe, of course the chief trainer administrator of the Will Power Boxing Gym ,located on the outskirts of Ghana's boxing hub Bukom, stressed the need for the use of local content in the development of boxers.

Tagoe also advocated for boxers to take courses in boxing coaching as part of ways to make a living when they are out of the ring.

"I have always said that former boxers make the best trainers so they must learn the rudiments of coaching when they are still active boxers. Not only will our future boxers have experienced trainers, former boxers will also have good jobs," Napoleon Tagoe said.