LAST MAN

STANDING

Goodsport Magazine

The Colonial History of Boxing.

There is an old adage in Accra, Ghana,

that if you’re fighting a Ga man, even

if he is on the floor, half dead and

defeated, he will say: “I’m going

to beat you, just you wait”.

This goes some way in explaining

the street spirit found in this west

African city, where competitive

fighting is as much a part of its

DNA as fishing.

In its earlier history, it was called

asafo atwele, but at the turn of the

century, when the Gold Coast became

a crown colony, the British

introduced the western style of

pugilism, encouraging locals to fight

against each other for financial gain.

Now, Ghana’s capital is home

to some of the greatest boxing

champions in the world.

Text: Alexandra Genova