Bukom’s boxing brilliance
Despite being a popular tourist spot, Accra’s historic seaside district of Jamestown is dusty, densely populated, and largely deprived. Yet it has yielded many of Africa’s best boxers, writes Tash Morgan-Etty
When Samuel Takyi won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021, he ended Ghana’s 29-year Olympic medal drought. He’ll forever be remembered alongside Ghanaian Olympic boxers Clement Quartey who won the 1960 silver medal in Rome, Eddie Blay who took bronze in Tokyo in ‘64, and Prince Amartey who brought a bronze back from the 1972 Munich games. 20-year-old Takyi is a proud member of Discipline Gym in Bukom, an area of Jamestown.
In Bukom boxing is life. Pugilists start young here. Many quit school to chase dreams of fame and fortune by training daily in one of a long list of competitive boxing gyms in the neighbourhood. And these gyms are by no means men-only zones. Female boxers train alongside their male counterparts, starting from as young as 4-years-old. It’s no wonder, then, that this community’s culture of dedication, determination, and hunger for success has produced more world champion boxers per square kilometre than anywhere else on the planet.
Keen to watch a live boxing bout? They are often advertised locally. Keep an eye out for posters and ask a taxi driver.
Keen to watch a live boxing bout? They are often advertised locally. Keep an eye out for posters and ask a taxi driver.
For those who’d like to meet Bukom’s future champions, a couple of operators run tours of Jamestown that include a brief stop at a gym. With enough notice, the friendly staff at the Jamestown Café on the High Street may be able to arrange a longer, more customised gym tour or training session.
If you’re looking for regular boxing training, there are several well-equipped private gyms and professional personal trainers available across the city. Other sports are well catered for too. From cross training in Cantonments to polo at the Club, from golf in Achimota to rooftop yoga in Airport, there’s plenty of choice to meet your fitness needs.
Outdoor enthusiasts will find ample space for a run or walk at the Legon Botanical Gardens or the University of Ghana. And, within an hour or two of Accra, there are countless opportunities for hiking, mountaineering, surfing, and sailing
