Big Stone For Christian Abbew - Lartey

With barely one week into office when Samir Captan took the realms of affairs at the top post of the Ghana Boxing Authority that a sports writer, boxing administrator and aficionado Christian Abbew though congratulated Samir Captan but sent a signal out there to the boxing fraternity of the “big mistake” the authorities have made of entrusting the administration of the sport defined as The Noble Art of Self Defense – Boxing into “wrong hands.”

Some of us were little bit “furious” about Christian Abbew’s remarks as we thought it was his character due to certain remarks he had made about the former GBA boss – Moses Foh-Amoaning of certain actions and inactions concerning the administration of professional boxing in Ghana. But it is true that our elders say “where an elderly person can see when seated, a child cannot see even if he stands on a chair” and this is exactly what is happening at the Ghana Boxing Authority where the board chairman – Samir Captan has made himself a superior over all the other stakeholders, assuming the Ghana Boxing Authority is Samir Captan and nobody else have a role to play.


With my understanding of the GBA administration likewise any other sport associations, the Secretary Generals are the people who supposed to be in charge of the day-to-day administrative duties and also at the officially designated Secretariat but not the personal office of the Chairman.


The “power drunken” GBA Chairman – Samir Captan has moved the Ghana Boxing Authority’s secretariat to his personal office at the Opera Cinema, Accra, where the officially appointed Secretary General – R.O. Lamptey’s job has been taken away and entrusted into the hands of his personal secretary - Michael Patterson.


Mr. Samir Captan has taken every duty of the GBA into his personal office, including issuing of licensees, sanctioning of fights (which is supposed to be a duty of the Chairman of Promotions & Control – Mr. Francis Decland) and any other duties of the Secretary General.


He has taken boxing promotions and management as part of his duties, arranging fights and sending fight contracts to boxers which the “rules and regulations” of the GBA abhors.


It is very shameful that the GBA under Mr. Captan’s administration could not present a wreath to the families of late Oblitey Commey and also of the late Nii Quaye-Mensah (former GBA Chairman) during their funerals just to be explained that the GBA has no money in its coffers.

Boxing like any other sport thrives on sponsorship and without good marketing acumen on the side of a leader of any sport association; it is a big blow to that particular sport and will see the athletes (boxers) to suffer. The Chairman instead to focus on how to make the sport of professional boxing attractive to sponsors, has shifted his concern on gripping onto power.


The Chairman’s poor human relations which Christian Abbew warned has been one big issue that all boxing stakeholders are facing since he (Mr. Captan) assumed the realms of affairs and it is nothing good to report about.


For the three (3) years (though his appointed term of office expired on June 28, 2011) reign of Samir Captan, there has never been any meeting with stakeholders to address issues facing them and also not a single circular to inform the stakeholders of any reforms (including changes in license fees etc.,) made by the GBA.


Living under the leadership of Samir Captan is like in the hell fire due to his character of a dictator, this was what Christian Abbew warned and we thought he was not right but “had I know is always at last” and therefore I wish to present this big stone to Christian Abbeo as when seated was able to see where I couldn’t see even when I was standing on a chair some three (3) years ago.





Credit: Solomon Otoo Lartey