Amin Lamptey
THE GHANA Boxing Authority (GBA) has strongly criticised the Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Authority for their handling of the tragic death of Nigerian boxer Gabriel Olua Segu, who collapsed and later died after a bout in Accra on March 29, 2025.
In a revealing interview, GBA Communications Director and veteran ring announcer, Amin Lamptey expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of communication, respect, and due process by state authorities following the incident.
“This was the first time something like this happened in Ghana boxing history,” Lamptey said. “We didn’t have a blueprint to follow, so it was emotionally, mentally, and psychologically difficult for us. But we managed it.”
Mr. Lamptey stated that despite the GBA being the official sanctioning body for the bout—which featured a Ghanaian and a Nigerian fighter, classifying it as an international contest—the Ministry failed to properly engage the Authority after the tragedy.
“No GBA board member, not even the president, was invited by the Minister when the incident occurred. We were sidelined, even when it came to handling the autopsy,” he said.
He added that the Ministry went ahead to set up an investigative committee without informing the GBA, indicating that the committee’s final report unfairly accused the GBA of inefficiency, despite its active role in sanctioning and organizing professional boxing events, including recent high-profile bouts.
He also questioned the credibility of the report, claiming that many of the 30 individuals consulted were neither eyewitnesses nor present at the scene. “Nearly 20 of them never even watched the bout, yet they were labeled as experts,” he said.
Mr. Lamptey further alleged that key testimonies in the report were misquoted and that the GBA President, who appeared before the committee twice, was never given the chance to respond to the serious allegations made against him.
“What’s even more worrying is that neither the GBA, the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control, nor the Nigerian High Commission has officially received a copy of the report. We had to get ours through our own means,” he noted.
The GBA believes the Ministry’s approach has not only undermined its autonomy but risks damaging the credibility of professional boxing in Ghana. Lamptey concluded that the situation raises questions about whether there is an intentional agenda to discredit the Authority.
The Ministry is yet to formally respond to these claims.
BY Wletsu Ransford