British boxing superstar Anthony Joshua has called President John Dramani Mahama at Jubilee House to discuss ways of enhancing Ghana’s sports sector.
The meeting, which took place on Monday, June 16, was attended by the Minister for Youth and Sports, Kofi Adams, the CEO of Legacy Rise Sports, the President’s son Sharaf Mahama, Azumah Nelson and other sports officials.
Anthony Joshua, who was in Accra to participate in the ‘Battle of the Beasts’ boxing event hosted by Legacy Rise Sports, commended the warm hospitality he has received since arriving in Ghana. He pledged to use his global influence to help attract investment into Ghana’s sports ecosystem and Africa at large.
“Sports has got me in a room like this, so I understand the importance of talking with my fists but also how influential sports can be and the type of rooms you can get into,” Joshua stated.
“I’ve been calling friends and speaking about ways that we can bring investment into Ghana, Africa, because I understand some of your policies and what you’re trying to do. And from a sportsman’s perspective, I understand sports is short-lived and we cross over into business,” he added.
President Mahama, in response, lauded the heavyweight boxer for honouring the country with his visit and involvement in the recent boxing event.
He lamented the poor state of Ghana’s sports infrastructure, attributing the decline to years of neglect. The President cited the Bukom Boxing Arena—a facility his administration established—as an example of an attempt to revive sports development.
“Unfortunately, over the years things have gone down and that’s what we tried to revive. That’s why we set up the Bukom Boxing Arena. It’s actually an academy because it has hostels, classrooms and all that,” President Mahama explained.
He noted that the vision for the arena stalled following the change in government in January 2017 but expressed hope that the project could be revitalised under his current administration.
“We have the opportunity to take it up again,” he said, also joking that he once believed the original 4,000-seater capacity of the arena was sufficient, suggesting he is now open to expanding it.
