Accra: Black Bombers head coach Ofori Asare has revealed that Ghana's boxing team faced significant logistical challenges at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which led to some boxers having to share competition kits during the tournament.
According to Ghana Web, Ofori Asare explained in an interview with Sporty FM following Ghana's disappointing performance, where the team secured only one bronze medal, that inadequate preparation and a lack of essential equipment negatively impacted the team's performance. The coach disclosed that three Ghanaian boxers were forced to share a single set of competition gear because the promised kits were not available upon their departure for the Games.
"Three of my boxers were using one canvas that belonged to one of the athletes. We had to keep asking her to share it. Sometimes I even had to borrow equipment from coaches of other countries whom I have trained before because there was nothing available for my boxers," Ofori Asare shared.
The coach also noted that some of the kits were either the wrong size or did not meet international competition standards, compelling him to improvise during bouts. He recounted an incident where a boxer risked disqualification due to ill-fitting protective gear, which the technical team had to secure with plastic tape during the fight.
"If you watch some of the videos, you will see me instructing the boxer while trying to fix the equipment because it was coming off. I had to look for plastic tape to tie it around the protector. It was very painful, but there was nothing I could do," he described.
Further, the Black Bombers coach revealed that the team had traveled to the tournament with the expectation that all necessary equipment would be delivered upon arrival, only to find that the kits were unavailable. "We were told everything was ready and would be brought to us there. When we arrived, we kept asking for the kits and other items, but they never came. It was very sad."
Ofori Asare recounted using an ink pen to cover worn-out sections of Ghana's competition vest to ensure officials would allow the boxers to compete, describing the experience as one of the most challenging moments of his coaching career.