Accra, Oct. 19, GNA - Adama Mensah, former African Boxing Union (ABU) heavyweight champion has condemned the absence of boxing at the SESSA Games since its reintroduction about four years ago.

In an exclusive interview with the GNA Sports on Wednesday, the former king of African heavyweight boxers said the SESSA Games were the best fora to unearth boxers for the national amateur boxing team and the non inclusion of boxing "was a deliberate attempt to kill the sport." He said whereas many amateur boxers turn professional very quickly because they need money to sustain themselves, boxers from the Security Services fight much longer in the amateur ranks because they were sure of their salaries at the end of the month.

Adama said the Security Services produced most of the great boxers who put Ghana's name of the world map in the past because they were more disciplined and more courageous than their civilian counterparts. "The regiment of training that we received as Security Services Personnel put us in a better stead to achieve ring successes because it prepared us both physically and mentally to fight to the end even against the best opposition.

"Myself, Professor Azumah Nelson, Prince Mama Mohammed, and many other boxer who brought glory to Ghana as amateur boxers were products of the Security Services."

He said the prospect of gaining employment in the Security Services was enough bait to get a lot of the tough guys from the streets into the rings to train as boxers.

"When SESSA introduces boxing and employs boxers as they have employed athletes in other disciplines, the national team selectors will have about 100 more boxers to choose from and it will enhance our prospects of winning medals in international competitions." He advised the organisers of the Games not to discriminate against boxing because it was one sport which had a very solid base and which could yield gold medals for Ghana in international sporting competitions.