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Ghana President flexes boxing knowledge

Nana Addo knows and loves his boxing

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The President was speaking when a delegation of Ghana boxing stake holders - including the leadership of the Ghana Boxing Authority led by President Petwer Zwennes as well as current and former world champions - called on him at the Flag Staff House on Thursday.

"I was at the Accra Sports Stadium the night Floyd Klutei Robertson fought Sugar Ramos, and suffered a loss from a bad decision. He should have been our first world champion," the 72-year-old leader said.

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Nana Addo recalled his youthful years spent idolizing local boxing culture. “I grew up as a young boy in Swalaba and Korle Wokon. Surpriser Sowah’s gym was around the corner, and we use to spend a lot of time there. I became so addicted to the sport that, as a young boy, I gave myself the nickname ‘Kid Gavilan’."

"We grew up in the era of the Black flash, the great, immortal Roy Ankrah, who put Ghanaian boxing on the world map. I saw Attuquaye Clottey and the ‘London Kid’, Vincent Okai, fight here in Accra," he added.

"Since their time, we’ve had a succession of great, outstanding champions, and many of them are here today – D.K. Poison, Ike ‘Bazooka Quartey, Nana Yaw Konadu, Joseph Agbeko. These are people whose names should be enshrined in letters of gold in our history, because they have enhanced the image of our country.”

He continued: “Unfortunately, in the last few years, it has been made to seem that football is the only sport that we are good at. It is not true.

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We have had outstanding talents and champions in athletics, boxing, table tennis, amongst others, and it is about time we nurtured all the talents in our country to make it possible for people who have the ability and talent in these disciplines also to emerge.”

The boxing delegation has called on the President to formally congratulate him on is victory in last December's elections, as well as to invite him to attend "Freedom Fight Night" - a boxing event being organized as part of Ghana's 60th Independence anniversary celebrations.

The event, to be headlined by a bout between Richard Commey and Belgium's Hedi Slimani for the WBC international silver lightweight belt, comes off on Saturday May 11 at the Bukom Boxing Arena.

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Promoted by Streetwise Promotions in collaboration with Errol Hawk Sports Management, the night will also feature other bouts, namely: Frederick Lawson vs Jamaica’s Sakima Mullings for the WBC international silver welterweight title and Duke Micah and Mexico’s Jonathan Aguilar for the vacant WBC international silver bantamweight title.

Watch Nana Addo's meeting with boxing stake holders below.

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