An International Technical Official (ITO), Mr George Lamptey, has called on the executive of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) to ensure early preparation for the national youth boxing team, the Black Rockets, for the upcoming Youth Olympics qualifiers scheduled for Angola later in the year.
Mr Lamptey, a former president of the GBF, said that was the only way the Black Rockets can build on the feat chalked at the recent Africa Youth Boxing Championship held in Conakry, Guinea, last month where Team Ghana consisting of Desmond Pappoe, middleweight; Mathias Ashitey-flyweight and George Dowuona-bantamweight won gold medals in their respective weight divisions.
Speaking with The Times Sports on Saturday, Mr Lamptey said the team had done Ghana proud but that feat would amount to nothing if they failed to build on it.
"The whole nation is proud of the achievement but Ghanaians would have high expectation now. The focus now would be on qualification from the qualifiers to the Youth Olympics.
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According to Mr Lamptey, realising this dream would require the GBF to ensure that the team commences preparation early enough to get every boxer in shape and very competitive.
"I want to advise the GBF board to call for early camping for the boys. They should not be left on their own. Early preparation will make them focused and away from all distraction. Qualification is a must for us. This is an agenda every Ghanaian must support," he stated.
Mr Lamptey worked as an International Technical Officer (ITO) at the Conakry championship, coordinating the technical side of the championship; a role he performed to satisfaction at the boxing event of the 13th Africa Games in Accra.
To this end, he has expressed gratitude to the African Boxing Confederation (AfBC) for the appointment to work in that capacity for the Guinea Conakry Africa boxing youth men and women championship.
Mr Lamptey also thanked the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) and the management of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) for releasing him to perform the role.
And as a member of the GOC board, he thanked delegates at its recently held congress for the confidence reposed in him by voting massively for him.
Moreover, he gained the appointment after suc¬cessfully completing an accredited International Boxing Association (IBA) exams in Marrakech, Moroc¬co, on February 2-5, 2024.
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"I want to thank the leadership of the GOC for supporting me to take the course that facilitated my appointment from the AfBC and the International Boxing Associa¬tion (IBA)," he said.
