Amadu Mohammed and Ebenezer Ankrah recorded impressive performances to advance to the last 16 of their respective divisions last Saturday.

Competing without a registered coach, Amadu and Ankrah were both dominant in their 54 kg and 60 kg round of 32 fixtures, respectively, and march on in a competition that has a staggering $300,000 at stake for gold medal winners in each division.  

Meanwhile, Vincent Akai Nettey failed to travel with the team to Dubai due to a last-minute injury he suffered at a friendly tournament in Equatorial Guinea just last week which forced the  GBF to hire the coach of Botswana as caretaker of Team Ghana in Dubai.

Amadu, who made the quarter finals at the last World Championships in Uzbekistan two years ago, was in terrific shape against Manoj Kumar of India at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. 

Right from the opening bell, the Accra 2023 African Games gold medallist and 2024 SWAG Boxer of the Year took the fight to his opponent with well-timed jabs, hooks and uppercuts, which rendered the Indian's game plan completely ineffective.

The Ghanaian was so dominant that the referee was forced to give Kumar a standing count in rounds 1 and 3 twice. In the end, there was no doubt about the victor, as Amadu's hand was raised as a comprehensive 5-0 winner.

Ankrah, who also represented Ghana at last year's IBA World Youth Championships in Montenegro, was in even finer form as he thoroughly schooled Felix Mendes Junior of Guinea-Bissau in an all-West African clash. 
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Ankrah's dominance was reflected in the very opening round after he knocked down Junior, who was also deducted points in rounds 2 and 3 for constant holding, before the referee stopped the contest midway through the final round.

With eyes on earning a slice of the $8.3 prize pool, which also rewards silver medallists $150,000, $75,000 for the two beaten semi-finalists and $10,000 for 5th place, Amadu and Ankrah return to action today, December 8, looking for a place in the quarter finals and closer to the money zone.

Amadu takes on highly-rated Asilbek Jalilov of Uzbekistan, who saw off Sadai Akhiskali of Turkey 5:0 in the round of 32, whilst Ankrah faces Artur Bazeyan of Armenia, who also overcame  Mali's Abdul Karim Batili 5:0.

Meanwhile, Ghana's third representative, Emmanuel Mawuli, an undefeated pro boxer with 13 wins and 10 knockouts, was due to face Enkh-amar of Mongolia in a 57 kg (featherweight) round of 32 fixture at the time of going to press yesterday. 

Should he win, Mawuli, 20, will meet the winner between Belarusian D. Salotskikh and A. Oaike of Papua New Guinea in the last 16 tomorrow.