The Aliu Mahama Stadium came alive last Saturday night as a vibrant crowd watched an electrifying showcase of raw boxing talent, with young fighters lighting up Tamale in a thrilling display of skill, courage and punching power.
Under the floodlights, the Northern Regional capital turned into a cauldron of excitement as fans roared their approval during a night of hard-hitting action that underlined the growing promise of boxing in the north.
A total of 14 boxers—nine from Northern Boxing Club, Tamale and five from Bolga in the Upper East Region—featured in eight gripping bouts.
The event was organised by the Northern Boxing Club in partnership with the Northern Region Boxing Association and 57Sports, a combat sports organisation founded by Belgium-based former kickboxer and Tamale indigene, Marwan Chenti Siraj.
The outfit focuses on disciplines such as kickboxing, boxing and wrestling.
For the fans, the spectacle was worth the wait as the stadium erupted with cheers during an impressive display of youthful fight craft.
Boxers such as Abdul Rahman Hamza, Habib Janda Musah, Roland Agosim, Fatihi Abubakari, Mohammed Faisal Abdul Karim, Abdullah Bawah Zakaria, Abdul Gafaru Alhassan, Abdul Hafiz Mustapha and Gabriel Azugu Azanlor Kojo caught the eye with their performances.
Among the dignitaries present to lend their support were the National Sports Authority Northern Regional Director, Jihad Ibrahim; the Chairman of the Northern Region Boxing Association, Ishmail Azindoo Baako; 57Sports founder, Marwan Chenti Siraj; executives of the Northern Region Wrestling Association and the Upper East Region coach, Stephen Anafo.
Participating boxers were presented with certificates, while citations were presented to Marwan Chenti Siraj, Ishmail Azindoo Baako, Matthew Koomson of Fiila FM, the Sagani TV sports crew and Nyansapo Micro Credit in recognition of their contribution to boxing development in the northern sector.
The NSA Regional Boxing Coach and head coach of Northern Boxing Club, Waliwu Alhassan, expressed delight at the success of the one-day show, describing it as a clear indication of the readiness of the young boxers to make the north proud in the ring.
Despite none of the seven boxers fielded by the Northern Boxing Club at the 2026 National Individual Amateur Boxing Championships in Accra last month reaching the finals, Coach Alhassan remains confident about the future.
“I wasn’t disappointed at all that we couldn’t get a finals slot. It was a good experience on a national platform for these young boxers to prove what they’ve learnt over the years,” he told the Graphic Sports via phone yesterday.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
