Celebrating Ghana’s Goodwill Ambassador Ray Quarcoo @90

BUSINESSMAN and Ghana’s Goodwill Sports Ambassador, Ray Quarcoo, may have taken a back seat from direct sports administration but he remains concerned about the sector’s downward trajectory in the last few decades.

On his 90th birthday today, he is appealing to sports administrators in the country to work harder to rescue Ghana sports and put Ghana at her rightful place in sports.

In a short interaction with the Times Sports yesterday, the sports administrator extraordinaire said although he has advanced in age, his happiest moments have always been when Ghana chalks a new feat in sport.

“We did the very best we could in our era and by the Grace of God, our efforts were rewarded but this is not the time for us to relax because sports is evolving very fast and we need to raise the bar as well to be at par with the developed countries,’ he stated.

“I owe the success I chalked as an administrator to Ghanaians, especially the people I worked closely with. I believe there are still some hardworking people who are ready to work to produce more champions and winners,’ he added.

Ambassador Ray Quarcoo, who doubles as a Lifetime Patron of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), has played a pivotal role in the development of sports in Ghana and has been credited with the success stories recorded across the various sports, especially boxing.

The stories of boxing greats like the legendaries, Azuamah Nelson, Ike Quartey, Ebo Danquah, Nana Yaw Konadu, Thunder Ayeh, Clottey brothers (Emmanuel and Joshua), Joseph Agbeko, Isaac Dogboe, Joshua Buatsi, among others, would be incomplete without mentioning him.

Boxing under his stewardship as president of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation (GABF) witnessed modern day initiatives like boxing exchange programmes among countries such as Britain, USA and Azerbaijan.

The goodwill sports ambassador’s love for boxing and sports knows no bound—he will travel on Sunday afternoons just to watch juvenile boxing on the streets of Accra (Wato Club), a practice which became a routine, where he ‘blesses’ the young boxers during his regular visits.

His contribution as an executive member of the prestigious International Boxing Association (IBA), formerly Association of International Boxing Association (AIBA), and a dedicated management member of the Black Stars were evident to all across the African continent.

Among the tall list of his contribution to Ghana sports was his sponsorship for Mr Mike Carney, an international boxing coach from British Sports, UK, to assist in the preparation of the Black Bombers for the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

The Lifetime Patron of SWAG and a Honourary Award from the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) were some of the honours he received for supporting Ghana’s participation in the 1992 Olympic Games.

Uncle Ray, as he is affectionately known, also facilitated and bankrolled the establishment of many boxing clubs at Bukom, Accra, like the Black Panther and Panix gyms, among others.