Ike and Clottey fails to Shine in US

... Quartey no match for Wright ... Clottey Fails to win title

Ike Quartey and Joshua Clottey lost their boxing fights last night in the United States. Quartey lost by a unanimous decision to Winky Wright at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. While, Antonio Margarito of Mexico won a unanimous decision over Clottey to successfully defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight title at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
Quartey no match for Wright A determined Winky Wright felt he had something to prove.
"They say I can't punch," the former world junior-middleweight champion said Saturday night at Tampa, Fla. "I wanted to show that I can."
One of the best defensive fighters in the business, Wright went on the offensive and knocked down Ike Quartey late in the second round and won the 12-round middleweight fight between two old friends with a unanimous decision.
Wright threw 1,011 punches to Quartey's 642. He was still going strong in the last round, but couldn't finish off his game opponent.
"I dropped him. I hurt him. But he kept coming back," Wright said. "I wish I could have knocked him out, but Ike's a durable guy."
Wright landed a right to the head to drop Quartey with about 20 seconds left in the second round. He rocked his opponent again with a hard left to the head midway through the eighth.
The 35-year-old Wright, a St. Petersburg resident fighting on his home turf for the first time since 1992, improved to 51-3-1 with 25 knockouts.
Quartey (37-4-1) fell to 3-2 since resuming his career in 2005 after taking more than four years off following a pair of disappointing losses in 1999 and 2000.Friends since the early 1990s when they were young boxers competing in France, Wright and the 37-year-old Quartey had no problem putting their friendship on hold for a night in hopes of positioning themselves for a big-money fight in the near future.
The judges scored the fight 117-110, 117-110 and 117-109.
"He's a good fighter. It was tougher than I thought fighting a southpaw," Quartey said. "He didn't hurt me. I thought I did enough to win the fight."
Both fighters were coming off controversial decisions that left them feeling slighted in their most recent fights.Wright, who landed 269 punches to Quartey's 174, felt he won a middleweight title bout that ended in a draw with champion Jermain Taylor in June.Quartey, who quit boxing six years ago after losing consecutive fights to Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas, dropped a close 10-round decision to Vernon Forrest in August.
Clottey LoseAgainst Clottey (30-2), Margarito trailed early but gradually wore down the Ghanaian, who was appearing in his first title fight.Clottey outboxed Margarito for most of the first four rounds but appeared to injure his left hand in the fifth round, and pointed to the hand as he went to his corner after the bell.Clottey later said he broke the knuckle on the index finger of his left hand when he landed a jab to Margarito's head in the fourth round. He said he also hurt his right hand in the seventh round, though he did not specify what type of injury it was."I thought I was in control of the fight until I hurt my hand," Clottey said.Margarito did not leave the ring unscathed, and said he injured his right wrist in the sixth round.Margarito had not fought since knocking out Manuel Gomez in the first round in mid-February in Las Vegas, and he said the layoff hindered him against Clottey."The ten months off really didn't help me tonight," he said. "I couldn't get a rhythm going early in the fight."Judge Eugene Grant scored the fight 118-109 and judges John Stewart and Paul Venti had it 116-112.Margarito took control in the middle rounds and pummelled Clottey in the eighth and the ninth, cornering him along the ropes in the latter round for a long stretch and landing numerous combinations.Clottey's answer in the 10th round was to dance away from Margarito for most of the round, a tactic that drew boos from the crowd at Boardwalk Hall.
Source:Associated Press

Former Attorney-General urges the youth to creat wealth genuinely

Mr J. Ayikoi Otoo, Former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice on Saturday urged the youth to desist from amassing wealth through criminal activities. He said people who indulged in criminal activities to amass wealth, often ended up in prison. Addressing the 31st Annual Certification Day of Opportunities Industrialization Centre (OIC) in Accra, Mr Otoo urged the graduates to have confidence in themselves and work hard in their chosen vocations to succeed in life. A total of 335 trainees made up of 193 boys and 142 girls graduated in Carpentry and Joinery, Auto Mechanics, Electrical Installation, Plumbing, Masonry, Catering, Ceramics, Graphic Arts, Textiles, Office and Computer Skills.

“The certificates you receive today are for you personally and never to be shared, transferred or assigned to others. Your graduation today, should not be the end of your training whether academically or practically,” he added. Mr Otoo urged the graduates to undergo apprenticeship with master craftsmen in their chosen vocation to sharpen their skills. He said every vocation or profession required experience and more exposure to develop and progress. Mr Otoo said “There is no blessing in cheating or being dishonest, corrupt and morally deprived. Do not inflate prices for you clients to make quick money. You would lose clients to others and become jobless.” Mrs Akosua Frema Osei Opare, Deputy Minister for Manpower, Youth and Employment, said Government would support all forms of youth education, because human resource development was crucial for the country in her quest to become a middle income economy by 2015.

General Emmanuel Erskine (Rtd), Member of the Board of OIC said it was founded by the late Baptist Minister, Dr Leon H. Sullivan to provide a life line to young boys and girls who experienced difficulties in making academic progress in the formal education system. He said through OIC many boys and girls had been given the opportunity to acquire marketable skills which make them employable in the society. Gen. Erskine urged parents of the graduates who could afford to send their children to tertiary institutions should endeavour to do so, “Because life is becoming highly competitive and admission to other higher professional institutions could be beneficial.” Mr K.A. Asante, Programme Manager of OIC, said OIC International in collaboration with USAID had instituted a scholarship scheme for orphans and vulnerable children who were not able to make any bearing in life. “The scheme is free because the trainee’s contribution to training, examination fees, transport fares to school and back and are catered for,” he said. Mr Asante said 69 orphans and vulnerable youth were among the graduates. GNA

Ghana is capable of being food sufficient

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, the Northern Regional Minister, has said Ghana was capable of becoming self sufficient in food production.He said this would depend largely on sustainable agricultural investment in the rural farming areas to engage the youth in food production and controlling the taste of the people for foreign food items.Alhaji Idris was addressing farmers at Buipe in the Central Gonja District to mark the Regional Farmers' Day at which 24 farmers were honoured.Mr. Alhassan Baako Dakurugu, 50, from Gushiegu, won the overall regional best farmer award and took away a corn mill, a bicycle, sewing machine, wax print, Wellington boots, fertilizers and cutlasses as his prize.Alhaji Idris said if the youth applied themselves diligently to agriculture as an income earning occupation they would be able to increase production to higher levels to feed the nation and for exports. He said it was for this reason that the government initiated the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) to nurture and develop the youth into self-made entrepreneurs full of self-confidence and a high level of discipline to make them assets to the national economy.Alhaji Idri said the NYEP had taken off in the Northern Region and that it was yielding positive results.He said 5,522 youth had been employed in agriculture, 3,313 were engaged as teaching assistants while 485 were into sanitation and waste management.On HIV/AIDS, Alhaji Idris said the vision of a well educated, well trained and well motivated human resource as a vehicle for driving the wheel of development could be achieved if there was concerted effort to keep the youth healthy."HIV/AIDS poses the greatest single threat to such an objective", he said, adding: "If we have to sustain interest and productivity in agriculture, then we must make sure that we maintain a viable, virile and healthy labour force".Alhaji Idris said the greatest and most effective weapon against HIV/AIDS was openness, talking about it, discussing it at home, workplaces, churches and mosques as well as in the communities for the people to know more about the disease."This is the only surest way to demystify and conquer the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the country", he said.The Regional Minister reminded the people about the wanton destruction of the environment, saying the environment was critical for the continued human existence.Two women, who were living with HIV/AIDS, voluntarily announced their health status to the crowd.This moved the people and Alhaji Idris and he gave a million cedis each to the women as his personal donation for their upkeep. 02 Dec 06
Source:GNA

Spio-Garbrah promises to remain with NDC

Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, an aspiring presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said he would not leave or form another party if he is not elected the presidential candidate of the party at the delegates' congress on December 21."I will remain committed, resolute and resourceful to the party and also bring to bear my expertise and rich experiences with whoever will be given the nod," he said.Dr Spio-Garbrah made the pledge when he met delegates of five constituencies in the Twifo-Hemang-Lower Denkyira and Upper Denkyira Twifo-Praso as part of his campaign tour of the Central Region.He said it was through his efforts that the NDC aspiring presidential candidates were made to sign an agreement not to leave or form any party but to support anyone who would be given the nod and that it was important for him to ensure that the agreement holds. He said the time had come for the NDC to refresh, repackage and market itself in a way to win the confidence of Ghanaians to vote the party back to power."I am the right candidate who will help disabuse the minds of Ghanaians that the party is a disunited or human rights abuser." The presidential aspirant, who is the Chief Executive Office of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization, said Ghanaians especially NDC supporters and functionaries were looking for a flag bearer who is marketable, youthful, dynamic and vibrant to lead the party to win the 2008 general election.He described himself as the right candidate that has the techniques, skills and resources to move the NDC forward and gave the assurance that when given the not he would, within six months, remodel, rehabilitate and resell the party in such a way that all those who defected would rush back.He denied media reports that there was "bad blood" or tension between him and Prof John Evans Atta Mills, former Vice President and another presidential aspirant."I have no problem with the professor. It is the media that are painting the picture to look as if there is a problem between us." "I respect the elderly and the views of everyone and would therefore not do anything that would bring confusion and division in the party" he said.
Source:GNA