Francis Decland, a hot favourite to be voted the next President of Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) is pledging to restore the fistic sport back to its glory days when Ghana could always boast of world champions.
Mr. Decland, a boxer in the 1970s turned astute promoter and manager is one of four candidates vying for the top post in Ghana boxing at the upcoming historic Congress this Thursday March 14 to elect leaders and an executive committee for the GBA. And Mr. Decland is promising immediate initiatives aimed at reviving boxing right from the very first day he takes office if he gets the nod.
“Ghana, we are Mecca of boxing in Africa. We have produced many world champions, Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, Alfred ‘Cobra’ Kotey, Nana Yaw Konadu, a lot of them. But it’s sad that for the past four or five years, we’ve not had a permanent world champion,” Mr. Decland told www.sportsinghana.com in an exclusive interview.
He continued: “We’ll collaborate with the media to take boxing far outside Ghana and bring our boxers into the international limelight. I’m promising that we’ll get straight to work, make sure we are in good standing with all the world bodies and by the end of this year or early next year, we’ll produce a world champion. I promise to return Ghana boxing back to its glory days.”
He added: “I will also meet all the stakeholders once or twice in a month to assess theirproblems and see how e can solve them. We shall also bring back the Mortein Boxing League, repackage it to attract and make the boxers busy and in line for world ratings.”
Furthermore, Mr. Decland also the immediate Chairman of Promotions at the GBA is pledging to supervise an open administration which will respect the views and opinions of all stakeholders within the Ghanaian boxing fraternity.
“I will also operate an all-inclusive administration and listen to everybody. I will not just be a leader, I will be a servant so I can serve my people to bring the progress we all need in Ghana boxing,” affirmed the man famous for Obric Sala Promotions.
Besides, Francis Decland is also promising to assist in the provision of boxing equipment and facilities at affordable cost whilst also improving on the technical expertise and capacity of boxing trainers and officials, all in the bid to make Ghanaian boxing truly professional.
“Boxing techniques are changing all of the time so we’ll bring in experts from abroad once in a while to train our coaches, referees and judges. At my own cost, I will make sure our trainers and ring officials often go on refresher courses abroad so they can be abreast with modern trends and developments in the game,” Mr. Decland disclosed.
He added: “We lack training equipment due to financial constraints. We’ll make sure we import sporting equipment from US, UK and South Africa and open a shop which will not operate for profit to sell at low prices to the boxers.”
The man who nurtured among them, Bukom Banku (Braimah Kamoko), Joshua Okine, Joseph Kwadwo (Opanka), Ishmael Tetteh, Ayi Bruce, Kpakpo Allotey, just to mention a few, also has in mind to fulfil the one dream every boxing enthusiast in this country yearns for, a dedicated arena for the sport.
“I’m also concerned that we don’t have a boxing arena and it’s one of the first things I will make sure we build. As a businessman of international repute, constructing a boxing arena would not be a problem. We’ll work hard to get land and funds to start work without delay,” Francis Decland.
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