Bukom: The fighting village.

Bukom, a suburb of the capital city, Accra which has been tagged the birth place of the country's boxers.

In dusty Bukom you'll find a a shabby ring with the canvas worn through, fading posters plastering the walls and a knot of fighters learning their craft under expert tutelage. This places are the unofficial university of boxing in Ghana

This shanty town is only 25 minutes away from the capital Accra but when a champion returns here the journey takes two hours as the entire population turns out to welcome its latest hero. Entering Bukom, the first thing you see and smell is the remains of a huge bonfire lit to celebrate the victory and in the middle of town theres a boxing ring open to the elements.

Bukom lives for boxing and worships its fighting men. The champions Azumah Nelson, Alfred Kotey and Ike Quarty come from there. From the beginnings of professional boxing this small township has been sending fighters around the globe in search of boxings biggest prizes. After a successful bout the champion will stand in front of the towns entire population and give a blow by blow account of his victory.

Bukom: heartbeat of African boxing