MEET GHANA’S FIRST FEMALE WORLD BOXING CHAMPION
▪️Abigail Quartey defied all odds to achieve her dream in the squared circle.
Abigail Kwartekaa Quartey’s journey to becoming Ghana’s first female world boxing champion is a story of persistence against all odds. Growing up in Jamestown, a fishing community in Accra famed for producing male boxing stars, Quartey’s decision to pursue the sport as a teenager was met with resistance.
Her aunts and siblings repeatedly begged her coach to discourage her, fearing that boxing was not a path for women. In Ghana, where most sports especially boxing are dominated by men, women are often discouraged from taking part.
Despite the opposition, Quartey refused to give up. She trained for years at the Black Panthers Gym in Jamestown, where she honed her skills. Yet her path was not easy. Coming from a working-class background, she supported her family by selling rice with her aunt and later selling lottery tickets when she had to pause boxing in 2017 due to financial challenges.
Without a manager and with little support for female athletes, she doubted whether she could make it. But her coach and brother, who is also a boxer, urged her to return. In 2021, she stepped back into the ring with renewed determination.
Her persistence paid off in November 2024, when she defeated British boxer Sangeeta Birdi in Jamestown’s main boxing arena to claim the WIBF World Super Bantamweight title.
The victory was historic making her Ghana’s first female world boxing champion and the first woman to represent the nation on the global stage. Crowds in Jamestown erupted in celebration, temporarily silencing years of prejudice against women in the sport.
Beyond her personal achievement, Quartey sees her victory as a beacon of inspiration. She wants young women in Ghana to know that they too can succeed in sports and other fields traditionally reserved for men. “I am a world title holder and that confirms that what a man can do, a woman can also do,” she said proudly.
Her influence is already evident in young boxers like 18-year-old Perpetual Okaijah, who, despite family objections, continues to train because of Quartey’s example.
Courtesy African Boxing News
