Sports
Azuma's Birmingham date
Ghana's Azuma Nelson's twice postponed World title defence will take place in Birmingham, Britain's proposed 1992 Olympic city with a local opponent.Opposing the World Boxing Council featherweight champion would be Pat Cowdell, former European and Commonwealth champion who lost a split points decision to the late Salvador Sanchez of Mexico.
The bout has been scheduled for October 5, or 12 depending on American television rights. Azuma was originally billed against Marcos Villasana of Mexico but when the Mexican was whipped into submission in a 10-round warm-up contest with fellow Mexican, Leo Valdex, unranked in the featherweight ladder, the bout lost its appeal.
Black millionaire promoter Don King who holds Azuma Nelson's promotions rights is teaming up with British match- makers to put up the Birmingham extravaganza.
NNB Africa Sports for WAFU final
The 1985 West African Football Union championship will be decided between defending champions New Nigeria Bank of Nigeria and Africa Sports of Abidjan.New Nigeria Bank whipped Hodjie of Togo 4-1 on aggregate while the Ivorians won on technical grounds. They were declared winners of the ill-fated semi-final encounter with Shooting Stars of Nigeria.
Stars were trailing 0-1 in the second leg match in Abidjan when the referee abandoned play on account of threatening behaviour on the part of the Nigerians.
Ghana out of world cup
Perhaps the Black Stars of Ghana are destined never to play in the world cup. That was the opinion of the game's analysts after the former African champions lost 0-2 to Libya in the second leg African zone World Cup preliminary in Tripoli.Four times champions of Africa, the Black Stars are undoubtedly the most celebrated national team on the continent of Africa. But when it comes to battling for qualification to join the elites of global football, the Ghanaian national team have always proved vulnerable to teams they handle with ease in African football.
Ghana defeated Libya to snatch the African cup for an unprecedented fourth time. The North Africans settled for a technical goalless draw in the first leg world cup engagement before brushing the Ghanaians aside in this world cup engagement.
Sports Council officials for tribunal
Two officials of the Ghana National Sports Council, Felix Ackon and Felix Jackson are to face trial before the Public Tribunal for their part in fake ticket deals at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.Also to face trial are Lawrence Darkwa, a security officer and Samuel Anang Kommey, scoreboard technician both at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. The others are Stephen Darko and Samuel Attuquaye Okoe, machine minders at the Victoriabord Press of State Publishing Corporation.
This follows the conclusion of an investigation conducted by the National Investigating Committee into a fake tickets syndicate at the National Sports Council. According to an official statement the committee found that fake tickets were printed at the Victoriabord Press and sent via contacts at the Sports Council to the Kumasi Sports stadium for sale.
Evidence, according to the statement, indicated that these deals had been going on for some time.
Mama sends opponent into coma
Ghana's world-ranked Prince Mama. Muhammed has added a measure of fear to his growing status knocking American light heavyweight Chris Schwenke into a coma in their scheduled ten round bout in Inglewood, California last week.Muhammed, 26, who is ranked number two by the World Boxing Council, unleashed a three-punch burst to put a helpless Schwenke on the canvas, just before fight referee John Thomas stepped in to terminate the affair. Schwenke, who was declared a technical knockout loser, left the ring under his own power but later slumped unconscious in the dressing room. He was immediately whisked away to a hospital where emergency surgery was performed on his brain. Hospital sources described the American's condition as critical. Muhammed, whose record now stands at 32-1-2 (won-lost-drawn) had only lately developed into a puncher of note after an initial reputation as a tap tap performer. But the incident may catch the attention of undisputed world champion, Michael Spinks.
Ghana draws 1-1 with Malaysia
Ghana's Junior national team Black Meteors, standing in for the Black Stars in the annual Merdeka Soccer Tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia drew 1-1 with host nation in their Group 'A' match. Ghana is drawn in that group alongside Indonesia, a Swazi select side and Malaysia.The Group 'A' winner was expected to meet Group B runners-up in a semi final match on August 1 with the Group B winner meeting the Group A runners-up.
The final is scheduled for August 3 and the winner is expected to carry a handsome cash prize of $40,000. Ghana's 22 man contingent is made up of seventeen players and five officials.
West African title fight
The Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) has sanctioned the West African heavyweight championship fight between Ghana's Adama Mensah and Vianou George of Benin.The bout tops a four-bout international card being presented by the Sikaprix International Promotions at the Accra Sports Stadium on August 3. Former world featherweight champion, David Kotei Poison takes on Djossou Basil, the Beninois lightweight champion over 10 rounds as the chief supporting bout.
Africa champion and Commonwealth and world welterweight title contender, Judas Clottey meets Apovo Djan of Togo and National bantamweight champion Ramos Adiare also fights Mensah Kpanlogo, former ABU champion also over 10 rounds.
GBA revives West African championships
The Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) is reviving the former West African championships in all the weight categories. A release from the GBA secretariat said it was in touch with other West African countries including Benin, Nigeria, Togo, Ivory Coast and Cameroun on the exercise. The GBA is also making moves to host a meeting of the African Boxing Union (ABU) in Accra at a date to be announced soon.The GBA has therefore given all champions a three month grace period, after which they must defend their titles against any rated boxer in their respective divisions.
