City Rocks, the Greater Accra Amateur boxing team have began extensive
camping and training for upcoming tournaments in Nigeria, Denmark, UK and
California in preparation for the national sports festival scheduled for
Kumasi in June. As the regional team which provides the national amateur
boxing side, Black Bombers, with majority of boxers, GAABA officials are
leaving nothing to chance in the bid to sweep the major laurels during the
sports festival.
The fulfillment of such lofty ambitions is the reason why GAABA officials
have secured participation in these competitions outside the country to help
their boxers gain competitive experiences, *SportsInGhana.com* understands.
First on the list of upcoming tournaments is the international boxing
friendly championship dubbed ‘Fight for gold 2011’ at the Asaba Indoor
Sports Hall Stadium, Delta State, Nigeria from March 1 to 4.
“The main focus is to prepare our boys for the national sports festival
that’s why we called them to camp early. The trip to Nigeria will be
followed by another to Denmark on the 18th March. They are doing well in
training and we hope to bring a lot of medals from Nigeria. Some of them are
also inexperienced so Nigeria will help them gain exposure before we travel
to Denmark,” Hon. Wallace Nii Tackie-Komme, GAABA 2nd Vice Chairman has told
*SportsInGhana.com* at the Attoh Quarshie Gym in Bukom where the City Rocks
are training.
The City Rocks are expected to leave the country this Sunday February 27 for
the long journey by road, hence the serious camping which began on Monday
after several weeks of the boxers training with their respective gyms. The
4-day tournament is expected to involve competitors from West African
neighbours Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Nigeria among others.
Yakubu Abdul Razak, Team Manager of the City Rocks is confident this group
of City Rocks boxers will not make just Greater Accra proud but will be
serving the nation too with the Black Bombers by this same time next year.
“They are all good boxers and have been impressive in training. I’m sure
that they will make us proud in Nigeria and also during the national sports
festival in Kumasi. But I can also confidently say that most of them will be
fighting for the Black Bombers next year,” Mr. Abdul Razak stated.
For Vincent Nettey, trainer of the Greater Accra Amateur boxing team, he has
seen enough of his boxers to be convinced that they will be the side to beat
at the ‘Fight for gold 2011’ beginning March 1. “For the Nigeria tournament,
I can tell you that we will be the best team because the boys are in top
shape, their attitude to training and mental focus are all good,” Coach
Nettey said.**
*Credit: Prince Dornu-Leiku *
