The newly appointed General Secretary of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), Patrick Johnson, has given an assurance that the Normalisation Committee set up to steer reforms in the sport will not outlive its mandate beyond 2026.

Mr Johnson, who was appointed by the National Sports Authority (NSA) at the request of the GBA, explained that the committee’s work is aimed at reshaping the entire boxing ecosystem in Ghana, ensuring the sport thrives for the benefit of all stakeholders.

The NSA, with the full backing of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, established the ad hoc Normalisation Committee to assume leadership of the GBA once the current board’s extended mandate expires on August 19.

Its creation follows the recommendations of a Ministerial Commission of Enquiry into the tragic death of Nigerian boxer Gabriel Oluwanreju, who collapsed during a professional fight in Accra in March.

Johnson, appointed by the NSA to oversee the transition, told the Ghana News Agency that the reforms would overhaul the sport from grass roots to elite level.

“This process will transform the sport at every stage — juvenile, women’s boxing, amateur and professional,” he said. “A five-year development plan has already been designed to channel investment into boxing and ensure sustainable growth.”

At a recent joint meeting between the NSA and the GBA executive, NSA Director-General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, unveiled three consultants who would support the committee.

The team has already presented a new road map, anchored on a five-year plan, and modelled on the successful structure of the Ghana Football Association’s 2018–19 transitional body, which laid the foundations for sweeping reform in Ghanaian football.

According to the GBA chief administrator, the long-term vision includes making Ghana a hub of major international bouts, with world title fights and other top-level contests staged locally to boost business and sports tourism.

He, however, stressed that the committee’s role was temporary and urged stakeholders to give their full support so the work could be completed within schedule.

“The mandate ends in 2026. By then, we expect to hand over to a new president and a properly elected management board to continue the growth of Ghana boxing,” Johnson emphasised. — GBA