A retired Ghanaian professional boxer has called for the recognition of the nation’s sports heroes whilst they are alive and not wait for them to die before showering them with praises and glorifying their names.
“D. K. Poison was the first Ghanaian boxer to win a world title but his contributions to sports have not been well recognized. They should not wait for us to die before singing praises on us.”
Nana Yaw Konadu, former WBC Super Flyweight Champion and one of the finest boxers the nation has ever produced who is now the Brong Ahafo Regional boxing coach, said in an interview with the GNA Sports in Sunyani.
He noted that boxing has produced great heroes for the country including himself but added that it was rather sad that his name is not even mentioned when the nation’s past sports heroes are being mentioned or recognised.
The former champion bemoaned the current decline in sports in the country, notably boxing, while greater attention is being given to football to the detriment of other sporting disciplines.
“If the situation is not checked the youth will not see sports as profitable and attractive enough to make any venture into it,” Nana Konadu added.
The retired pugilist noted that although there are many youth in the region who have interest in boxing, the lack of basic facilities for training was preventing them from pursuing the sport.
Nana Konadu said the only boxing gymnasium in the region, located at the Sunyani Coronation Sports stadium was in ruins but added that the Regional Sports Council was making frantic efforts to set up a new one to assist young boxers.
The former boxing champion appealed to private businessmen, corporate bodies and other individuals in the region to support the Council to woo and attract interested youth into sports to steer them away from indulging in social vices.
Nana Konadu shot into fame in 1984 and within 10 years annexed four titles of the World Boxing Authority (WBA), International Boxing Council (IBC), the Commonwealth, African Boxing Union (ABA) and the national titles in Super -Flyweight and Bantam-weight divisions.
