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Ghana’s national women’s boxing team, Black Hitters, have been left devastated after being denied visas to compete at the 2025 IBA Women’s World Championships in Serbia, despite months of rigorous preparation.
The prestigious tournament, which officially opened in Niš, Serbia, yesterday, has welcomed teams from nine African nations, including South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco and Kenya.
However, Ghana’s historic debut at the global level has been cruelly snatched away due to bureaucratic hurdles at the Serbian Embassy in Accra.
The Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) has hit out at the Serbian Embassy, accusing it of blocking the Black Hitters’ participation even after all due processes had been followed.
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According to Alhaji Dauda Fuseni, 1st Vice-President of the GBF, the International Boxing Association (IBA), the Serbian Boxing Federation, the Serbian Foreign Affairs Ministry, and the Immigration Police had sanctioned the visas in Belgrade.
However, the Serbian Embassy in Accra insisted that the official order had not been reflected in their system and refused to issue the visas.
The shocking turn of events has robbed six of Ghana’s top female boxers of a chance to compete at the highest level and a shot at the championship’s mammoth $2.88 million prize pool.
The tournament features 239 boxers from 48 countries, with gold medallists set to receive $100,000, silver medallists $50,000, and bronze medallists $25,000 each. Even those finishing fifth will walk away with $10,000, making Ghana’s exclusion an even bigger blow to the young athletes who had sacrificed so much in preparation.
Alhaji Fuseni did not hide his frustration at the debacle, warning that the setback could have long-term consequences for the development of women’s boxing in Ghana.
"The girls have trained so hard for this, putting in months of effort. To be denied the opportunity to compete at the last minute is incredibly frustrating and discouraging," he told Graphic Sports.
"Many of them will now feel reluctant to try again after such a disappointment. If we don’t act quickly to give them another chance, we risk breaking their spirits entirely," he added.
The GBF executive remains determined to keep the women’s national boxing team alive and is already exploring alternative competitions to keep the fighters motivated.
"We must move on quickly and find another international competition for them. If we want to develop a strong female boxing team, we can’t afford to let this setback derail their progress," he insisted.
"Their hard work cannot go to waste. We need to secure new opportunities to give them the exposure and experience they need ahead of major tournaments like the Commonwealth Games, African Games, and the Olympics."
While Ghana’s male boxers have traditionally been a force on the international stage, the country has been working tirelessly to build a formidable women’s national team.
The Black Hitters’ participation in the IBA World Championships was meant to be a landmark moment—one that has now ended in heartbreak.
With the Serbian visa fiasco raising serious questions about diplomatic processes and sports administration, the challenge now for the GB is to restore confidence among the fighters and ensure they don’t give up on their dreams.
