Boxing coach Bernard Tetteh Nartey has called on the Ministry of Sports & Recreation, the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), and the National Sports Authority (NSA) to prioritize grassroots boxing.
In an exclusive interview on “The Big Fight Night” on Omashi TV, the 2024 Ghana Boxing Amateur Referee of the Year emphasized that the success of the national teams, the Black Bombers and the Black Hitters, depends on a strong foundation built by the Black Rockets and juvenile boxing programs.
Nartey expressed his passion for boxing education and his commitment to training young, aspiring boxers who will become future champions. He acknowledged the influence of his mentors, senior colleagues, and past champions from the Attoh Quarshie Boxing Club and the Charles Quartey Gym, expressing his desire to pass on their knowledge and skills to the next generation.
Currently serving with the Ghana Navy and residing in the Ga Mashie boxing community, Nartey supported his employers during the Ghana Boxing League. He consistently worked with the Ghana Armed Forces team, the Ghana Army, who won the competition last season.
“I love to learn new things and also love to share knowledge, so I love what I do,” he stated.
Referee Tetteh Nartey recently participated in an IBA course held at the Accra Sports Stadium. He commended the facilitators, the National Sports Authority, the Ghana Boxing Federation, and all participants for their commitment to capacity building.
“The course has upgraded our boxing knowledge and made us appreciate what the IBA has been doing to promote and develop Amateur Boxing worldwide,” he explained.
Nartey, also a boxing judge, hopes that these international courses will be held more frequently in Africa. He believes that Africa and Ghana have immense talent among boxers and officials alike, including coaches, referees, timekeepers, and record keepers, who need to be involved and supported. He encouraged participants to share their newly acquired knowledge.
The Accra-based trainer hopes that course participants will be deployed throughout the country to train others in different regions and organizations.
“Boxing is our number one sport in Ghana, so we should do the right things, or we will keep struggling, and other countries will bypass us,” he cautioned. “We must honour those who have excelled in the past, those who have taken the country to glorious heights, like Clement Ike Quartey, who won Africa’s first medal at the Olympic Games in 1960. This inspires those coming up to see and feel the need to sacrifice for the nation.” He added, “Sportsmen and women need to be rewarded adequately to inspire and motivate others.
Story By Sammy Heywood Okine
