Ike Quartey to drag GBA to court over refusal to release Samuel Takyi for South Africa fight
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Ghana boxing legend, Ike Quartey has threatened to sue the Ghana boxing Association over their failure to release their client, Samuel Takyi for about in South Africa.
The Olympics medallist who is signed onto Bazooka Promotions is yet to receive a letter of release for his bout against Mandlenkosi Sibuso in a super featherweight on June 11 in Johannesburg.
The GBA's refusal to issue the letter is said to be a result of the boxer declining to sign a deal that would see the GBA earn 3 to 5 percent in development fees from all his fights abroad.
“He (Abraham Kotei Neequaye) is asking Takyi to either sign the undertaking or forget about the fight because he would not issue him a release letter," Quartye told ghraphicsports.com.
Quartey added that the act by the association is inconsistent with the law.
“This is an unlawful act from the GBA because there is nothing like this all over the world. How can you ask a boxer to sign a life-long undertaking which is not even part of the statutes of the association?”
“I will have no option than to sue the GBA if they deny Takyi his right to work and receive an income to take care of himself,” he threatened.
According to the GBA regulations, Ghanaian boxers based in Ghana cannot travel for bout outside the country without permission from the association.
“No boxer ordinarily resident in Ghana or licensed by the Ghana Boxing Authority shall be allowed to travel outside the country to engage in any professional boxing unless he has obtained a release letter from the authority.”
Therefore, Samuel Takyi's fight is currently in jeopardy as the GBA is yet to hand him a release letter.
According to GBA president, Abraham Kotei Neequaye, boxers have refused to pay a remit percentage due to the association after their bout.
“There is a clause in our statutes that Ghanaian boxers who fight outside Ghana must remit a percentage of their purse to aid in boxing development but they don’t want to pay," he told ghraphicsports.com.
He added that signing a deal before issuing the release letter is a way to enforce rule 18 of their regulations.
“So we decided to introduce an undertaking to commit them to pay the said amounts whenever we release them to fight outside. I am not ready to issue a release letter to any boxer who is not ready to abide by the regulations of the GBA,” Mr Neequaye stated.
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