In many of Ghana’s inner cities and working-class communities, boxing is more than a sport. It is a door. For young men growing up with limited access to education, employment, or social mobility, the gym offers discipline, structure, and the possibility—however slim—of a different future. Boxing has long functioned as one of the country’s most accessible sporting pathways, turning raw talent into national pride and, in rare cases, international success.
But opportunity without protection comes at a cost. The same sport that opens doors can, without adequate safeguards, leave its athletes physically diminished and financially vulnerable once their competitive value fades. As boxing continues to serve as an escape route for many from deprived backgrounds, questions about who is responsible for protecting fighters throughout and beyond their careers have become increasingly urgent.
This tension between opportunity and obligation has shaped a growing strand of Ghanaian sports journalism, most notably through the work of Bernard Djanie Neequaye. Reporting for the Graphic Sports and Graphic Online, Neequaye has consistently examined whether boxing’s promise is matched by systems that ensure fighters truly benefit from their careers—not just in the ring, but long after they step away from it.
Rather than portraying boxing as a ladder that individuals must climb alone, his reporting has focused on the structures surrounding the sport. He has interrogated how fighters are licensed, how medical risks are managed, how earnings are protected, and what institutional support exists once a boxer can no longer compete. In doing so, his work reframes boxing not simply as a personal journey, but as a shared responsibility between athletes, promoters, regulators, and the state.
Nowhere was this approach more visible than in his reporting on retired boxers whose post-career lives stood in stark contrast to the opportunities boxing once offered them. Many of the fighters interviewed spoke of untreated injuries, unstable incomes, and limited institutional support—outcomes that exposed the fragility of boxing’s promise when welfare systems fail. These stories challenged the assumption that resilience alone is enough to secure long-term well-being.
The publication of “Forgotten Champions: The Harsh Reality of Ghanaian Boxers After Retirement” in October 2021, sharpened this conversation. The feature did not question boxing’s value as a pathway out of hardship; instead, it asked why the sport had not done more to protect those it relied upon. The public response renewed scrutiny of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) and other stakeholders, contributing to the eventual creation of a Boxing Welfare Fund for retired fighters. While limited in scope, the move represented an acknowledgment that opportunity must be matched with care.
Neequaye’s work has also drawn attention to how other jurisdictions protect athletes. By referencing international frameworks such as the United States’ Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, his reporting has highlighted how regulation can reduce exploitation, improve transparency, and safeguard boxers’ earnings. These comparisons underscore that protecting fighters is not an abstract ideal but a policy choice—one that determines whether boxing remains a viable social ladder or a short-lived escape.
His broader experience covering major sporting events, including the Africa Cup of Nations and the Commonwealth Games, has reinforced this perspective. Across sports, he has observed that talent thrives most sustainably where governance is strong and welfare is institutionalized. Boxing, with its high risks and low entry barriers, demands even greater vigilance.
Recognition of Neequaye’s work, including his Boxing Writer of the Year award from the Ghana Boxing Authority, reflects growing awareness of journalism’s role in safeguarding the sport’s future. Yet the issues he continues to document—weak enforcement, inconsistent medical care, and uncertain post-career support—remain unresolved.
For boxing to continue offering opportunity to young people from deprived communities, its stakeholders must treat welfare as fundamental, not optional. Promoters, regulators, gyms, and policymakers all play a role in ensuring that fighters do not trade short-term hope for long-term hardship.
By insisting that boxing’s promise should extend beyond a fighter’s final bout, Bernard Neequaye’s journalism has helped shift the conversation from celebration to stewardship. In doing so, it asks a simple but pressing question: if boxing can change lives, who ensures those lives are protected once the gloves come off?
BY ANDREW NORTEY