Former Boxer calls for establishment of an Endowment Fund

Napoleon Tagoe, Former World Boxing Council (WBC) Cruiserweight Champion has called for the establishment of a Boxing Endowment fund to assist talented pugilists to realise their potential thereby alleviating them from poverty.

He told the GNA Sports in Accra that there are lots of budding boxers especially at Bukom, (home of boxing) but luck the basic facilities like gymnasium and rings plus funds for feeding in order to blossom. Tagoe who had to retire from boxing prematurely because of a prolong eye problem, expressed his pessimism that if these boxers are not assisted to develop their potential, there is the likeliness that they might be compelled to engage very serious social vices including armed robbery.

He said without money which is necessary for the provision of the needed facilities coupled with good coaches, the country might find it difficult to produce a world champion who can take over the reigns of Azumah Nelson and Ike Bazooka Quartey.

Tagoe said boxing and for that matter sports in general, have a multiplier economic effect which when properly managed can provide jobs for a lot of unemployed youth thereby helping to alleviate poverty in the country.

He urged the Ghana Boxing Authority and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to put in place a vigorous plan of action, which the Fund could be used to execute.

The boxer said much as he believes in the ministry's long term planning for sports, there is the need for some austerity measures to put in place to save the current dwindling of the country's fortunes in sports