Don’t take credit for Dogboe’s title till you support boxing – GBA boss to Sports Minister

The Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) President Peter Zwennes wants the head of sports ministry to truly operationalize his policy of supporting boxing before taking any credit for Isaac Dogboe’s title win.

Zwennes, who wore a look a great disappointment at Dogboe’s Kotoka International Airport welcome, revealed that Team Dogboe had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the quest to make the 23-year old a world champion.

“It is time the ministry stopped paying lip service to helping the other sports. It is time the ministry translated its help in practical terms. If the ministry, as usual, will want to come and take credit for the success of other individuals for which we haven’t seen any contribution, then they must sit up.”

In case there was any doubt who this message was for, the GBA boss went direct.

“So, if the minister is listening to me, I want to say it loud and clear: this is the time for them to come and translate their help in practical terms for us, and for us to know that the ministry is not just a soccer ministry, that it is helping us in boxing,” Zwennes added.

However, Zwennes had effusive commendation Paul Dogboe, father and coach of Paul, as well as his team for their splendid management in planning and executing the agenda of snatching the title from ertswhile champion, Jessie Magdaleno.



There is no record immediately available to Joy Sports of any visit by the Sports Ministry to Dogboe ahead of his big bout last weekend. Neither is there a record of any financial support during their preps for the big bout. There was no record also of any official of the sports ministry flying to the USA to offer support – moral or otherwise – to Dogboe and his team.

But the ministry were among the first to release a statement of congratulations on April 30, after the event.

Dogboe stunned the audience at the Temple University in Pennsylvannia when he overcame a first round knockdown to defeat his Mexican-American counterpart via an 11th round technical knockout.

Meanwhile, a carnival atmosphere at VIP Lounge of the Kotoka International Airport greeted Dogboe’s arrival on Tuesday evening. Dignitaries including Accra Mayor Mohammed Adjei Sowah, former Sports Minister Dr Mustapha Ahmed, evangelist Dr Lawrence Tetteh, Africa’s greatest boxer Azumah Nelson, and Dr Donald Agumenu were present to welcome the new champion.

Dogboe and his team had it tough walking out of the VIP Lounge even to their waiting shuttle, as hundreds of fans pushed and struggled to either catch a glimpse, touch him or take a picture.

Source: Myjoyonline.com