Friday, May 1, 2015

Women's boxing Ghana : Rose Awatey

womens boxing Ghana Rose Awatey
Rose Awatey PIC Fidgit Box
Rose Awatey is just 16 years old, but she thinks like a champion already. This short film, shot in Ghana's capital Accra takes you deep inside the training you don't see in the ring but without it those punches just don't flow.

I've probably seen more boxing films than I've had hot dinners as they say in Ireland. So when someone takes the trouble to do something different, I love it.

We only see Awatey hitting pads about three minutes into this beautifully-filmed short called 'Sting of  Rose' produced by FigitBox. It opens on a treadmill - so not sexy, so not glamorous but without that steady pounding a boxers’ legs have no power.

Then she’s jumping up and down in an workout focused on dynamic movments, throwing a heavy medicine ball (is there another kind?) and hauling on the rowing machine.

Through it all her gentle voice tells her story in English. Unfortunately the atmospheric music is a little too loud in places but you can follow along.

As we see her marching through training with the national team, she says: “I take my training seriously. Even if I am tired, Coach will hit me a punch to continue.” And laughs.

This film is from 2012, and while there are plenty of references to Awatey's fights online from that year nothing more recent that I can find. If anyone can find her, please let me know. I hope she's still fighting.

Ghana is a powerhouse in African boxing. The text with this Ghana photo gallery from Media Club South Africa  says: “Boxing is Accra's citywide obsession, and Jamestown the centre of the sport. There are more boxing schools per square mile in Jamestown than anywhere else on earth.”



Sting Of A Rose from Fidgit Box on Vimeo.
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