Richard Commey thanks Akufo Addo for car gift, calls for more support for boxing

IBF Lightweight champion Richard Commey has expressed gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for gifting him a car and a cash prize of GHC50,000 but believes the help must be extended to the amateur boxers.

Commey has appealed to the government and the Ghana Boxing Authority to join forces and create avenues for young boxers to have access to world class facilities and coaches.

He bemoaned the practice where the state only become interested in boxers when they annex world titles and called for support for the discipline that has given Ghana ten world champions.

Commey while commending the President, ex-president Rawlings, the Chief Imam and other personalities and institutions for the overwhelming show of love since he arrived in Ghana, called for an extension of the support to amateur boxers.

Commey held that boxing talents abound in the country but limited opportunities is making it difficult for the boxers to reach the summit of the profession. “I thank God for everything that he has done for me.

"Even though I’m always on the low key, God has blessed me and I have met the President, Ga Mantse, Sempe Mantse and the Chief Imam. All these people are great people and for me to meet them is big and I thank God for this”. I will thank the President and the staff for this.

"This is my first time of receiving something like that from the state and I really appreciate it. This shows that the president supports boxing”.

“When I met the President I put it to him that it should not be Richard Commey but other boxers as well. This gym (The Gym) they’ve got a whole lot of boxers but the government must work with the ministry and GBA and see how they are going to work.

As an ambassador for Streetwise Foundation, in the summer we are coming back with equipment for boxing because the boxers need that.

Commey became Ghana’s 10th World title holder after giving Russia’s Issa Chaniev a round two knockout.

The boxer is currently undergoing treatment to address an injury he picked during the fight.