Accra, Oct. 5, GNA - The Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) on Tuesday opened a month-long coaching course for boxing coaches aimed at enhancing their knowledge for the proper training of young and upcoming boxers.

The course, which is being run on a non-residential basis will tackle such areas as tactical, technical, scoring, rules and regulations and medicine in boxing.

In all 19 coaches with one each from Akosombo in the Eastern Region and Central Region are participating in the course.

Opening the course, Mr Moses Foh-Amoaning Acting Chairman of GBA said the course is the beginning of an idea of introducing an effective boxing structure for the country.

He said over the years Ghana had lacked professional boxing coaches and the decision of the GBA to organize the course was also part of their efforts to produce quality trainers for boxers.

Mr Foh-Amoaning said the exercise would also deepen the roots of boxing in the country since participants will be given support to go to other regions to train young people who are interested in coaching as well as active boxing.

According to the GBA chairman, plans are far advanced to begin an outreach programme early next year after the course to lay proper foundation for the development of boxing in Ghana because coaching forms the basis of the sport.

He said the course, which is structured in three levels namely preliminary, intermediate and advanced levels would see to all the rudiments of the sport and expressed the hope that quality coaches will be produced at the end of the month long course.

On the future of the participants, Mr Foh Amoaning said the authority would sponsor those who excelled at the advanced level to take further studies in Europe next year.

Mr Albert Agbozo, Acting Chief Executive of the National sports Council (NSC) called on the participants to pay active interest in the instructions of the resource persons selected for the course since they are well experienced in the sport.

He also advised the participants to make conscious efforts at transferring the knowledge they have acquired in the course to other coaches who did not have the chance to participate in the programme. Among some of the resource persons on the programme, are Mr Peter Assandor, Technical Director of the GBA, Mr Eddie Blay, a former world rated boxer and an Olympic Games medallist, Charles Sone a Ringside Doctor, and Mr Foh-Amoaning.

The course is expected to end on November 4 at the Sports Hall of the Accra Sports Stadium.