Three Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games medallists comprise Ghana’s six-man team for the Africa Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships scheduled for Yaounde, Cameroon from July 25 to August 6.
The team was announced today by the President of Ghana Boxing Federation, Bernard Quartey who has retained long-serving Ofori Asare as the head coach.
Commonwealth Games silver medallists, Abraham Mensah and Joseph Commey, as well as bronze medallist, Abdul Wahid Omar form the backbone of the the team.
Mensah lost in the finals of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games to Northern Ireland’s Dylan Eagleson at bantamweight but has now moved up to featherweight.
Commey did not feature in the featherweight finals because he was unwell. His Northern Ireland opponent Jude Gallagher won a gold medal without throwing a punch with light-welter Abdul Wahid Omar settling for bronze. Commey has shifted to light-welterweight and Wahid dropping to lightweight.
The three medallists enabled Ghana and Mozambique share the eighth overall position in the Commonwealth Games, and Africa’s top-placed nations in the Games.
Promising three-time national flyweight champion, Theo Allotey (pictured), a footballer-turned boxer, has been given a chance to prove himself.
His exclusion from the 2022 Commonwealth Games team was widely condemned by Ghana’s boxing fraternity including top boxers.
Since his uncle Emmanuel Adjei introduced Allotey at the age of 13 years to coach Asare at Wisdom Boxing Gym, he has made tremendous progress.
Welterweight Alfred Kotey, who lost to India’s Rohit Tokas in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games round of 16, has been retained in the same berth.
Ghana’s full team to Yaounde: Flyweight Theo Allotey, featherweight Abraham Mensah, lightweight Abdul Wahid Omar, light-welter Joseph Commey, welterweight Alfred Kotey and light-heavyweight Jonathan Tetteh.
Credit: AfBC Communications
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