Ghana's first-ever female world champion, Abigail Quartey, is scheduled to embark on a 2-week training tour in France next month in preparation for a first defence of the title in August.

Quartey, 28, made history last November at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra when she dominated and defeated Sangeeta Birdi of the UK to capture the WIBF Super Bantamweight belt, marking a unique milestone in the annals of women's boxing in Ghana.

Quartey is a dedicated and hardworking fighter who defied the odds to rise to the top of her division after 10 fights in a pro career that began in October 2021.

She has nine victories and a solitary loss in her first and only fight outside Ghana to highly rated Anahit Aroyan of Armenia in Dubai, UAE, just a fortnight before her world championship triumph.

A defence of the world title has, however, stalled due to limited opponent options, a situation which could result in the Ghanaian being stripped. 

The boxer's management has, however, confirmed that Quartey will defend the Women's International Boxing Federation crown on August 22.

Keen to enhance her preparations for the crucial victory they seek to position her to challenge for more prestigious titles, her team has secured a partnership for Quartey to spend July 13-27 training in sophisticated world-class facilities in Paris. 

The aim is for her to sharpen her skills, as well as the experience European exposure for the history maker to be ready for the battles that await on the international stage.

"We want to tell the fans out there they should expect something big from us. She's focused and determined to make Ghanaians proud. This training tour is a preparation that will help us to defend the title," Quartey's trainer, Ebenezer Adjei, AKA Coach Killa, told the Graphic Sports.

"Although we last fought over 6-7 months ago, we have always been training and always ready. But no doubt she needs some international exposure, that’s why we are going to France. Ghanaians should expect something big from us," Coach Killa said.