The Making of a Champion

where are the women in this narrative?

Boxing, for millennia, has stood as a male-centered sport, especially in Ghana, often linked to poverty, aggression, and a rugged “hustler” identity. Although the nation celebrates multiple world-class champions such as Azumah Nelson, Joshua Clottey, and Ike Quartey who rose from Ga Mashie in Jamestown, the sport still occupies the margins of mainstream recognition. These legendary figures represent Ghana’s reach on the global stage, yet one question remains: where are the women in this narrative? Why do female boxers receive far less acknowledgment?

Stepping into this gap is Janet Acquah, a fast-rising force in Ghana’s boxing scene who challenges long-standing assumptions as she carves her place in the ring and pushes against societal expectations that once kept women distant from the sport.

Janet Acquah, a fast-rising force in Ghana’s boxing scene

A Childhood Fraught Through Struggles and Determination

As the second child out of four children from an impoverished family in Chorkor, a densely populated low-income fishing community and a recognized slum area in Accra, Ghana, Janet knew she had to stepped into adulthood far earlier than expected that is if she wanted to redefine her life beyond the confines of what life had handed to her.

“At the age of twelve, I left home into the streets to make ends meet and fund my education.”  she recounts

Janet’s resourcefulness led her to try her hands on a common street trade, lottery a trade in Ghana usually horned by men.

“I will move from one neighborhood to other to trade numbers and stake lottery for my customers, while I braided dreadlock on the side. This was a trade I never learnt because I could not afford to pay for tuition so I realized solely on observation and with constant practice I gained mastery”.

In the spark of her entrepreneurial spirit, her passion for football surfaced but the lack of resources in that prospect forced her to reconsider her path.

“ I was a footballer but I didn’t have anyone to support me. To raise into the limelight in this sport, you must have the right connection and a good support system which I did not have”
It was through the unyielding results of football that she began considering other areas of sport that she could excel since she believe sport was her ideal route to success.

A New Journey to Greatness Unleashed

After Junior High, an unexpected encounter shifted everything. Janet met a Mixed Martial Arts coach who sensed her extraordinary potential.

“He told me I had all it takes to become an MMA champion so he encouraged me to join the MMA team and begin training at Jamestown” she reflected

During her training in martial arts, the coach was marveled by her strength and potential hence he enrolled her into boxing.  Although Janet was hesitant at the time, because she knew the stereotype associated with the sport which trapped many girls outside the boxing arena. The assumptions were that only street hustlers and aggressive personalities belonged there and boxing will only make you lose your femineity. However, through training she discovered a truth that contradicted those myths. “Boxing is a respected sport and as a boxer you are not allowed to fight outside the ring, so it isn’t for street thugs. Also, boxing doesn’t change your gender it rather makes you better” she emphasizes.

With her coach’s guidance, she dedicated herself to mastering the science of boxing. Janet embraced intense routines, long hours, and complete focus. “When I’m preparing for a bout, I do not go out, I focus on my craft and it reflects in the ring.”  These where the trainings that paved her way into stardom.

A Life of Gloves and Glory

Janet’s breakthrough came when she represented Ghana in the Olympic qualifiers in Senegal where she became the first female to win her fight outside the country.

“My first bout outside Ghana was the Olympic qualifiers in Senegal and I was the first female to win my fight and it exposed me to a lot of people.

This propelled her into the limelight, making her an instant sensation.

Her breakthrough continued at the All-African Games held in Ghana where she made history as the first Ghanaian woman to win a bronze medal in the women’s category.

“I felt fulfilled as the first female to win a bronze medal in the All-African Game and this made the federation generate keen interest in me” she mentioned.

Today, Janet is an accomplished boxing Champion in Ghana. She is admired for her legendary successes. “I am now a respected person in the society” she says. This young talented boxer has bagged numerous awards including the renowned Wiser Achievers Awards and a host of medals both locally and international. Beyond these awards she is on a mission to rewrite the story of female boxers in Ghana.

Empowering The Next Generation

The young boxer is not only reclaiming women’s legacy in the boxing, she is making sure every young girl has the ability to dream without any challenges or impediments making them venerable. With support from her partners Miss Sarah Asare and Miss Dior from South Africa she has launched a project dubbed “The Girls Box initiative”, this project aims to combat the high rate of teenage pregnancy among young girls in Chorkor and its neighboring environments. “Through the Girls Box initiative, we have engaged in several training and rehabilitation programs to empower these girls to be independent which will go a long way to prevent teenage pregnancy”. She explains.

Janet affirms that the initiative has seen impressive results where teenage pregnancy among young girls in boxing and the community is now a rare story. Her mentorship includes guidance toward discipline, character development, and focus. “I would advise my young sisters in boxing to desist from uncouth behaviors and stay focused and determined because those are the key to success” she says

Punching Together a Brighter Tomorrow

Janet continues to mentor young ones to be the better version of themselves. In the tenacity of Janet’s defiance of the societal standard, she tells an indelible story. Women do indeed deserve a place in the boxing narrative and the likes of Janet is on a mission to making this a possibility. Her presence in the ring encourages girls in Chorkor and the world at large to continue to dream beyond gender because dreams have no limitations.

Editor: Elizabeth Bonney