Otoo Lartey; what an insult to Ambassador Ray Quarcoo

In all his statements, as lead advocate for the removal of Ambassador Ray Quarcoo from his post as the President of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation, Solomon Lartey had never given any substantive reason but just resorting to innuendoes, with the view to causing public disaffection and ridicule against person of the good old Ambassador, whose contribution to the development of the sport in the country had never been doubted.

In a latest statement attributed to him, Solomon Lartey referred to the Ambassador as a dictator who acts unilaterally without consultation with his Committee members, without substantiating with instances. Stuck up in his evil imaginations, he described the Ambassador as heartless insensitive person who does not care about the welfare of the boxers by alluding to Habib Mohammed, a boxer he claimed was involved in a motor accident on his way to training and was hospitalized for two weeks, whiles the Ambassador never visited.

For Otoo Lartey’s attention, under Ambassador his term of his office, six boxers have gained employment in the Security Services and are earning decent living, with potential career opportunities at their doorsteps. Wherein lies the basis for his insensitivity on the welfare of the boxers. Continuing with his diabolical diatribe, he maligned the good old Ambassador that but for his interest in the Commonwealth Games, he would not have rushed to pay transport allowances to the boxers. This statement is offensive conceived with the intent to smear the hard earned image of the Ambassador.

There is nothing wrong about calling for GABF Congress to convene to elect new officers in compliance to the Federation’s Constitution but in doing so, as in any civilized society, decorum must be observed.

On a more personal note, I have known the Ambassador to have spent his own monies to organize GABF programmes including payment of transport allowances to Committee members after meetings and boxers. He pre-finances GABF programmes, which monies he does not seek for reimbursements.

*The Ambassador is a well accomplished person, who has dedicated not only his precious time but also been using his resources to support the development of the sport in the country. As far back as 1984, it is on record that he donated 5000 US Dollars to the Ghana Olympic Committee towards preparations to the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

*He facilitated sponsorship of a European (Denmark and Norway) Training Tour of a 20 member Black Bombers team and also sponsored the team’s participation in a United States funded West Africa Amateur Boxing Training Programme in Lagos; as well as sponsorship of a renown British boxing coach, Mike Carney to assist in the team’s preparation to the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

*In recognition of his contributions to the development of the sport, he has earned several honours, both local and international; the notable ones are from International Boxing Association (AIBA), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1994, the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) in 1992 and the Sports Writers Association (SWAG) in 1994, climaxed by his appointment as a Life Patron of the latter.

*Being associated to boxing for over 15 years as he claims, Otoo Lartey must know that the Ambassador bank-rolled the establishment of the Panix and Black Panthers Boxing Gyms in Bukom. Some of the names Otoo Lartey mentioned can testify to the various assistance they have received from the Ambassador.

*The high point of his association to the sport and tangible contributions to its development is the construction and establishment of the well equipped ultra modern Bridge Boxing Gym at Roman Ridge in Accra which is opened not only to the national team for training but also to our professionals preparing for world championships.