Azumah Nelson is a former WBC featherweight title holder
Veteran Ghanaian sports journalist Ekow Asmah has called for the renaming of the Kaneshie Sports Complex in honour of legendary boxer Professor Azumah Nelson.
Speaking on Sporty FM, Asmah expressed disappointment over what he sees as the country’s failure to fully celebrate the legacy of one of its greatest sporting icons.
“Ghana hasn’t celebrated Azumah Nelson that well. I’m waiting for the Kaneshie Sports Complex to be properly named after him. It should be like the Mohammed Ali Centre in Kentucky,” he said.
Asmah’s comments come at a time when Azumah Nelson is set to be honoured once again by the World Boxing Council (WBC) during its “Year of Africa” celebrations.
A major boxing event, dubbed “The Battle of the Beasts,” will take place in Accra on June 13 at the Bukom Boxing Arena, exactly 21 years since Nelson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.
Nelson, now 66, is widely regarded as one of the greatest African boxers of all time. He won the WBC featherweight title in 1984 after defeating Wilfredo Gómez in Puerto Rico and went on to defend it until 1988.
He then moved up in weight, capturing the WBC super featherweight title and holding it until 1997.
His dominance in the ring, which spanned over a decade at the top level, remains one of the most iconic runs in the history of African boxing.
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