The GBA on Thursday 18th November, 2020, held an official launch of 10 new title belts, official car and the website as part of the President’s initiative to make the sports administratively effective.

As per the program line up, the president took turn to address invited guests and the media present.

Below is the detailed speech by Mr. Abraham Kotei Neequaye.

SPEECH BY THE GBA PRESIDENT,ABRAHAM KOTEI NEEQUAYE AT THE LAUNCHING OF NATIONAL TITLE BELTS AND A CAR

Venue: Bukom Boxing Arena
Date : 18-11-2021

Time: 10am prompt

I will like to first of all thank our Lord for His blessings, protection and direction in our affairs. My able first and second Vice Presidents, My hardworking Executive Board Members, Representatives from the Ministry for Youth and Sports, National Sports Authority(NSA),Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation, Our special Invited Guests, former GBA Presidents, old Boxers, Promoters ,Managers, Match-makers, Ring Officials, Coaches, paramedics Boxers, The Media,
Invited Guests, ladies and gentlemen,

It is virtually 4 months and exactly 120 days since I was elected as the President of Ghana Boxing Authority.Kindly help me to once again thank God for His mercies. Today marks a special day in my life as the GBA President for a simple reason that we are here to execute important assignment in an effort to reshape and revive professional boxing in Ghana. The new face of Ghana boxing I promised after I was sworn-in as the GBA President four(4) months ago begins to manifest itself today. I thank all of you for coming to grace such an important event where we look forward to kill three birds with a stone.

Ladies and gentlemen, the single stone in this context is this event and the three birds are:

a.The launch of ten(10)newly acquired national title belts.

b.GBA new car.

c.GBA official website.

Ladies and Gentlemen, you will agree with me that these three(3) critical components are very essential in the realization of our vision and purpose for Pro-boxing in Ghana. I quite remember in one of my post election interviews when I said: all stakeholders in boxing need to work tirelessly to make boxing great again and that it is a collective responsibility of every stakeholder of the sport to help make it a reality.

Over the past few months since I was confirmed as the GBA President, I have already and continue to tap into the knowledge of my predecessors and some former executive board members so as to help me and my board members to shape our vision, plans and and implementation of ideas. My utmost agenda in the realization of my vision is to consider the welfare of active boxers and their trainers or coaches. I have come to realized that running of boxing professionally must not be the work of only the Secretary General but all other important individuals and stakeholders.

Ladies and gentlemen, considering the dynamics of our time, I have created the GBA president office, a desk for the promotions department headed by Alhaji Tofiki Muritala and looking forward to establish desks for the marketing and communications departments. Such administrative set up can only contribute to an effective administration underpinned by effective communication network among officers at the GBA and stakeholders. I encouraged such a system so as to help bring about effective management of documents, accountability, effective financial management, checks and balances. Let me repeat again that boxing is a huge business that lacks close monitoring and supervision and sadly open up the doors for some individuals to benefit at the expense of many stakeholders, including the GBA.

Ladies and gentlemen, the GBA invited you to this event to witness three special initiatives in an effort to consolidate our past gains, solidify our current gains and help enhance our future gains. We shall very soon witness the official launching of our new national title belts to boost our domestic championship and create the platform for effective competition. The current GBA under my leadership saw the need to have a car to help rebrand and reposition our corporate identity. We shall all witness the unveiling of our GBA branded small car today with the hope to purchase a big one in future by God’s willing. Effective communication management is the hallmark of this current GBA administration. As part of effort to reshape our communication and relationship we have revamped our website and very soon we shall witness its official launching. I hope that explains my earlier statement that we are here to kill three birds with one stone.

Ladies and gentlemen, help me commend all our former GBA Presidents for laying the foundation for my administration to build on. I wish to also commend my two vice presidents and executive board members for their support and contributions. Let me seize the opportunity to thank Promoters, Managers, Match-makers, Boxers, Ring Officials, Medical Officers, Coaches, Boxers and all licensees for their dedications toward the change we are all expecting for the GBA.

Let me remind all stakeholders for the need to be serious about contractual agreements.
Please make sure you involve the GBA at all time in your boxing transactions with boxers, managers and promoters. And also be sure that copies of any agreement is deposited with the GBA for any future eventualities. I urge all stakeholders to cultivate the attitude of respecting GBA’s rules and regulations to help eliminate any questionable behavior and attitude retarding the progress of the sport. In conclusion, let me once again welcome you to this historic event. On behalf of the GBA and the executive board, I will like to thank you all for being a part of this event. It is important to close our ranks for the benefit of all. We need each other to push forward the GBA agenda.

Ladies and Gentlemen in the next few weeks, GBA in collaboration with a popular media house, will invite you again to witness the launch of yet again another boxing league in Ghana. Let me finally tell our foreign based boxers, especially those in the United States to have a second look at the little percentage they are expected to forward to the GBA. The little to give back to the GBA from your fight purse will go a long way to facilitate the smooth growth of the sport in Ghana and beyond.

I have reactivated that concern over the past weeks and still waiting for feedback from the few stakeholders the GBA communicated to. I hope all of us will add our voices to make it happen. I wish both Isaac Dogboe and Richard Commey the very best in their November 20 and December 11 fights respectively. On our local front, December is packed with so much actions with mouthwatering bouts. You will be taken through the events in due course.

Long live Ghana boxing
Long live all our champions
Long live Ghana

Thank you for your time.

God bless us all.