The rising star of African boxing, Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe is adamant he may have to critically look at fighting again in Ghana after the WBO African boxer of the year was unbelievably ignored during the commissioning of the newly built Bukom Boxing Arena.
President John Dramani Mahama officially unveiled the new boxing edifice inside the Trust Sports Emporium near the Korle lagoon in the outskirts of Accra last week amid fanfare where all of Ghana’s former world champions were honoured in the presence of the entire boxing fraternity.
Undefeated Dogboe (15-0, 9 KOs) who next faces Julian Evaristo Aristule of Argentina in a WBO International, WBO Latino and final WBO super bantamweight world title eliminator on the undercard of the Joseph Parker versus Andy Ruiz WBO world heavyweight championship in New Zealand on December 10, was a notable absentee at the ceremony to officially declare the new boxing stadium open and according to the boxer’s team, they are not only shocked but also feel neglected and unwanted.
“We feel we are not wanted in our own country, likewise Christ Jesus when his own people neglected him but now he is Christ, the centre of everything. Remember they said that the stone that the builders rejected will always be the cornerstone, without that stone that building cannot stand. This is the word of God,” Paul Dogboe, father and trainer of the boxer lamented.
“When we came to Ghana, boxing was downhill, we revived boxing by fighting competitive opponents, holding big promotions, we brought boxing back. Again we won the WBO fighter of the year for the whole Africa alongside Bob Arum, Terrence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquaio, these great people all won awards in Puerto Rico and Isaac was one of them,” Dogboe Snr added.
Accordingly, Team Dogboe are still reeling from the shock of being left out of the list of invitees to the opening of the country’s first ever modern boxing stadium and are still waiting for an explanation and apology from authorities in charge of the sport in this country. Nothing less and they could be forced to take a drastic decision regarding the future fights of the 22 year old boxer who started his fight career in the UK.
“Coming to this arena will also be another motivation for the president and people to wish him well for his next fight coming up in New Zealand. It’s unbelievable as if we are not wanted because one of the bigwigs in Ghana boxing once told me that what we have done in Ghana is enough so we should go back to London,” Paul Dogboe stated.
“And for even them not inviting us and many other issues like just two days to our fight with Tabanao, our matchmaker died without any sickness, all these things going through our mind, it’s like someone just don’t want us. But there is nothing greater than what the almighty God has written in the book of life, no man can change it,” he added.
