Veteran boxing coach Kwatelai Quartey has been recognized with a Special Award for his decades-long contribution to Bukom and Ghana boxing, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential figures in the sport’s history.
No account of Ghana’s boxing history is complete without mention of Quartey, affectionately known as Wutor, the long serving head coach of the Bukom Boxing Club. A towering figure in the sport, his influence spans generations and has shaped the very identity of Bukom as Ghana’s boxing heartbeat.
In 1976, Quartey played a pivotal role in the reconstruction of the Bukom Boxing Club with the support of Hon Amarkai Amarteifio, then Secretary for Youth and Sports. The gym, which dates back to the 1950s under the management of Nii Nai Sackeyfio, has produced some of Ghana’s finest fighters, including the country’s first Olympic medallist Clement Ike Quartey Snr and the celebrated Floyd Quartey.
The gym has been in existence since the 1950s and still needs government support because the new crop of boxers need better facilities and equipment, even roofing so they can train round the clock on rainy days, according to Quartey.
He is the elder brother of Ike Bazooka Quartey and, together with the late Alfred Cobra Kotey, was among the early pioneers who trained at the club from a very young age. Widely regarded as a naturally gifted trainer, Quartey is credited with nurturing some of Ghana’s most accomplished fighters, including Ike Quartey, Alfred Kotey, Joshua Clottey, Emmanuel Clottey, Steve Dotse, James Bukom Fire Armah and Abraham Osei Bonsu, guiding them onto the international stage.
One of his most notable achievements came in 1988, when he helped several of his protégés earn places in the Black Bombers squad for the Seoul Olympic Games, before supporting their transition into the professional ranks. Under his guidance, Alfred Kotey went on to become WBO Bantamweight Champion in 1994.
While others may be credited as head coaches for some fighters, Quartey laid the foundation for many of their careers and continues to train young and juvenile boxers to this day. Though Oko Odamten is credited as coach of Ike Quartey during his professional career, the foundation came from Wutor.
A long list of Bukom’s finest also passed through his hands, including Bukom Banku (Braimah Kamoko), Joshua Bukom Tsatsu Okine, Bukom Jah Lartei Lartey, Alfred The Stinging Bee Tetteh, Malik Bukom Onufu Jabir, Michael Pappoe and many others.
Though advancing in age, Quartey remains passionate about teaching. Equipment shortages are no barrier to him. I can even use a football to train boxers how to punch, he said in an exclusive interview with BoxingGhana.
For him, discipline is non-negotiable, insisting there is no excuse for skipping training. The gym is a boxer’s classroom, he often reminds his trainees. That’s where you learn about life. To him, there is no excuse for not turning up for training because as a boxer, the gym is your classroom to learn about life.
Beyond producing fighters, Quartey has mentored several young trainers, further extending his legacy. His recognition at the 2025 Boxing Ghana Awards has therefore been widely welcomed as both fitting and overdue.
Coach Quartey, often called The Father of Bukom Boxers, believes Ghana boxing has declined because there is no leading contender in world ratings. He advised the government to invest in amateur boxing by taking boxers out for training tours in Eastern Europe and Asia, regions known for strong boxing programmes.
He acknowledged that raw talent abounds in Bukom but emphasized that talent needs management and exposure as well as opportunity to develop into world class fighters. The coach has consistently called for better support and investment in amateur boxing infrastructure to ensure Ghana continues producing world champions.
The boxing fraternity and BoxingGhana have congratulated Coach Quartey for his unwavering dedication to the sport and his lifelong service to the youth of Bukom. He will receive a Special Award at this year’s Boxing Ghana Awards, scheduled for January 3, 2026 at the Idrowhyt Events Centre in Dansoman.
Bukom, located in the Jamestown district of Accra, has produced eight world champion boxers despite being a working class neighborhood with limited resources. The area’s network of gyms has been responsible for most of Ghana’s boxing success over the decades.
The Bukom Boxing Club remains one of the most important gyms in the community, alongside other notable facilities like the Attoh Quarshie Gym, which groomed former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey, and the Bronx Boxing Club, which shaped Richard Oblitey Commey, who captured the IBF lightweight title in 2019.
Ghana Boxing Authority President Peter Zwennes has previously stated that poverty and deprivation are major factors that contribute to Bukom producing so many champions, noting that the hunger for success, fortune and fame motivate boys in Bukom to take boxing as their education and business.
The award comes at a time when Ghana boxing faces challenges in maintaining its competitive edge on the international stage. While the country boasts a rich boxing heritage with multiple world champions, current participation in global rankings has diminished compared to previous decades.
Coach Quartey’s recognition serves as both a celebration of past achievements and a reminder of the ongoing need for investment in boxing infrastructure, training facilities and development programmes to ensure future generations can follow in the footsteps of Ghana’s boxing legends.