Ghanaian boxers have prospects to become Olympic champions

Ghana can win Olympic and world champions in boxing if its boxers and trainers learn how to prepare for boxing championships, a German boxing expert told Xinhua last Friday.

Christian Morales, a national boxing trainer of Germany, said Ghanaian boxers are very strong and skillful but lack petty tricks in the sport.

"I think with the right coaches and technical expertise, one day there will be an Olympic champion from Ghana," he told Xinhua in an interview on the sidelines of a 10-day training workshop for Ghanaian boxing coaches.

"They (boxers) should grow in their mind and with some right methods of training I think they can become world title holders in the near future, because they are very strong and have some fighting mentality," he said. According to Morales, some of the Ghanaian boxers are even stronger than some top boxers in the world.

The 10-day training course for the boxing trainers opened at the Accra Sports Stadium Friday morning.

The German Federation in collaboration with the German Olympic Committee is funding the course with help from the Federal Foreign Office. The first time a cooperative program such as this occurred in Ghana was about 20 years ago.

"This partnership will help us teach the coaches in Ghana the boxing techniques as we do it in Germany," the boxing trainer said. He called for government support for boxers and coaches in Ghana to win laurels for the country because they have the potential.

"The boxing and coaching systems in Germany are structured. Every boxer in the national team is helped by the government so they concentrate on the sport. The structure is better than you have in Ghana but may be in five or ten years we'll have the same system in Ghana for boxers and coaches," he added.

The training comes after an exhaustive consultation spanning over two years between the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation (GABF) and their German counterparts. The President of the GABF Ambassador Ray Quarcoo said he was convinced that the training program would be of the highest standard that would facilitate the achievement of the federation's pivotal objectives which include to nurture boxers as physically robust and mentally sound athletes well groomed for future professional career and to achieve results in the international arena. "It is my fervent wish that more of these kinds of programs are organized in the coming years for the good of our coaches and athletes, not only in boxing but in other sporting disciplines as well," he said.

He assured the sporting fraternity that with the support from the ministry of youth and sports as well as the National Sports Authority (NSA), he would continue to engage in consultation with other associate international federations and corporate bodies for the establishment of similar bilateral cooperation and sponsorship of such programs.

The course will cover topics as boxing training techniques and tactics, methodology, fitness evaluation and exercise prescription, sports nutrition and coaching psychology among others.

Besides providing an opportunity for enhancing the boxing coaching skills and knowledge of the participants, the classes would also provide an opportunity to share experience and forge a sense of solidarity in the true spirit of friendship through sports among the experts.

It also forms part of the GABF's preparation towards presenting a formidable team for future international outings. The course, which will end March 18, would certify Level II coaches.