Veteran sports journalist Karl Tufuoh says it’s “absolutely rubbish” to name the deplorable Kaneshie Sports Complex after a legend like Azumah Nelson.
Tufuoh, who is also a lecturer, said Nelson is the country’s greatest sportsman and deserves a more befitting honour.
His comments follow the neglect of the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex, which has now been engulfed by weeds.
“Even his opponents till date have massive respect for him. With all due respect, those who oversee this country don’t show him that level of respect. It’s absolutely rubbish to name a funny edifice after the greatest sports person,” Tufuoh fumed on GTV Sports+, as quoted by Ghanaweb.
“I call it the Kaneshie Complex, I’m never going to call this Azumah Nelson complex. It doesn’t befit the champion that we had that kept all of us awake to make us happy.”
“The best thing to do is to name the Legon Stadium after Azumah Nelson because that will be an appropriate edifice for him.”
The expansion of the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex into a youth and sports resource center kicked off in 2018 but there’s been little development since then.
Estimated to be worth $4 million when the project took off, the renovation of the facility has now stalled.
However, a recent report showed that bushes have grown around the project after months of it being abandoned.
The report said the contractor tasked with completing the project abandoned it in October 2020 due to the Sports Ministry’s failure to pay him.
Azumah Nelson made his name in the 1980s and 1990s, having held the WBC featherweight and super featherweight titles.
He is widely regarded as one of the best boxers to have ever emerged from Africa, having swept a number of titles during his career.
The 65-year-old fought a total of 47 bouts, winning a staggering 39 times, drawing twice and losing just six.
The Ghanaian boxing legend has also been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.
Pulse
