Three fighters of the national youth boxing team, Black Rockets, departed Accra last Saturday night en route to Conakry, Guinea, where they will compete at the 3rd African Youth Boxing Championships between May 16-26.

Minimumweight (48kg) campaigner, George Nii Nortey Dowuona, 18, flyweight (51kg) Mathias Ashitey, 17 and Desmond Pappoe, 17 - light middleweight (71kg), will be flying the flag of Ghana at the event, which features a number of countries from around the continent. 

They will know their immediate opponents after the entry and draws today, ahead of the start of the boxing competition tomorrow.

Accompanied by assistant Black Rockets trainer, Joseph Martey, the trio are expected to use the exposure and competition at the one-week event as preparations for the upcoming Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics qualifiers later this year.

All three were part of the six-man squad that represented Ghana at the IBA World Youth Championships in Budva, Montenegro, last year, the other three having moved up in age to the Elite division with the national amateur boxing team, Black Bombers.

Aside the boxing tournament, the African Boxing Confederation (AfBC) are also hosting three International Boxing Association (IBA) certification courses aimed at elevating professional standards: a Referee & Judge (R&J) course, Coaching course and International Technical Official (ITO) course, all of which began in the Guinea capital last Friday.

Former Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) President, George Okoe Lamptey, also Board Member of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), is also in Conakry in his role as a certified International Technical Officer (ITO) to supervise the training.

These courses are open to officials and coaches from across the continent in the AfBC's quest to improve technical expertise, as well as foster uniformity in boxing governance and mentorship.

"The championship underscores efforts to develop boxing talent and infrastructure in Africa, addressing gaps in officiating and coaching quality," said a statement from the AfBC.

"By combining competition with education, organisers aim to create a sustainable pathway for athletes and professionals, ensuring the sport’s growth aligns with global benchmarks," it explained.