Clottey urges boxers to prioritise discipline over womanising
Former IBF Champion Joshua Clottey has attributed the decline of boxing in Ghana to the detrimental behaviour of young, upcoming fighters who prioritise womanising over discipline and hard work in the gym.
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Clottey expressed his belief that the inability of these fighters to abstain from multiple sexual relationships had greatly contributed to the premature death of their boxing dreams.
In an interview with Graphic Sports, Clottey advised young boxers to steer clear of promiscuity and instead focus on their training if they wanted to succeed in their careers.
He pointed to the presence of numerous women around these promising young boxers, which distracted them from their training and hampered their concentration.
“There are too many women around these upcoming fighters and that is not helping them because instead of training, they rather engage in womanising,” he told Graphic Sports in an interview.
“This is one of the things that kill their careers because you are sleeping with so many women at a very tender age and you won’t have the chance to concentrate,” he said.
The decline of boxing in Ghana has become evident since former world champions Richard Commey and Isaac Dogboe lost their titles and failed to reclaim them. The lack of young prospects stepping up to fill their shoes has prompted calls on the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) for innovative measures to revitalise the sport.
Responding to these calls, Clottey stressed that the attitudes of boxers were crucial elements in ensuring the progress of the sport. He emphasised that boxing would continue to suffer unless fighters abandon certain behaviour, such as womanising.
Clottey stressed that he was not advocating for boxers to avoid having relationships but rather cautioned against pursuing every woman they encounter, as it posed a significant problem to their career development, which required dedication, self-discipline and focus on training.
