PRESS RELEASE

RAY QUARCOO RESCUES GHANA AMATEUR BOXING FEDERATION YEKINI AWUSONE SET TO JOIN YELAND (BEIJING) BOXING CLUB

Ghana’s lone bronze medalist at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, Yekini Awusone left the country on Sunday, 28th November, 2010, enplaned to Beijin, China to finalize his engagement agreement with the Yeland Beijin Boxing Club, a franchise of the World Series Boxing (WSB).

The Ghanaian heavy weight boxer was drafted by the Yeland (Beijing) Boxing Club at the WSB International Boxer Draft held on 28th June, 2010 in London.

The WSB is the World’s first league tournament for professional-style boxing. It is organized by the International Boxing Association (AIBA), which is the world governing body for amateur boxing recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) introduction of this new program in professional style boxing will mark a new era in the sport; reuniting the broader boxing world and its grassroots amateur foundation by providing a bridge between Olympic and Professional boxing. It will offer a platform to thousands of amateur boxers around the world who aspire to take part in professionally organized boxing competitions and will provide them with a safe and secure income and thereby help the sport reclaim its noble position and heritage at all levels.

Yekini’s participation will provide a return in investment for the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation (GABF) .Under the terms, Yekini will be permitted to participate in and the (Franchise will be required to release him for) the Olympic Games and any other related qualifying tournaments, and in the event that no such tournaments take place in any year, the boxer will also be permitted to represent his home national boxing federation by participating in one tournament sanctioned by AIBA.

The term of the boxer’s contract will initially be a period of three whole seasons of the World Series of Boxing. Regarding remuneration, subject to the payment by the franchisee of at least a minimum salary fixed for each boxer by WSB,Franchisees and Boxers will negotiate between themselves as to the salary,remuneration,bonuses and other benefits that will be payable by the franchise to the boxer. The Franchisee will also be responsible for paying to the boxer any other employee benefits which are mandated by local employment laws.

Maxwell Amponsah, a light-heavy weight boxer of the GABF, has already been signed by the Astana Arlans Boxing Club, another Franchisee in Astana, Kazakhstan and is doing tremendously well. He is yet to lose a fight in the WSB league. The Federation has also got to an advanced stage with arrangements for contract agreement between Ahmed Saraku and the Los Angeles Matadors, a franchise in Los Angeles, USA, which has since been signed but the boxer is awaiting his visa.

The participation of Ghanaian boxers in the WSB is just a component of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation’s GABF) medium to long term development plan. Under the dynamic leadership of Mr. Ray Quarcoo, the Federation has succeeded in developing a very good working and mutually beneficial relationship with AIBA and other AIBA affiliated countries/Federations.

Names of five officials of the GABF have been shortlisted by AIBA for appointment to membership of the Medical, Referees/Judges, Coaches and Athletes/Youth sub-commissions of the international body and are awaiting confirmation.

Months before the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, GABF received four fully sponsored invitations for joint training exercises in USA, Australia, Pakistan and Russia, which only one was honoured. The Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation will continue with such programmes until amateur boxing reclaim it right position.

SIGNED DOMINIC KANKAM AG. SECRETARY GENERAL TEL: +233-273-202946, EMAIL: amateurboxing.gh@hotmail.com