Joseph Awinongya Jr., known as “King Jojo,” made history as the first Ghanaian American to win gold in the U19 World Boxing Championships in the 75kg category. The event, held from October 28 to November 1, 2024, saw Awinongya Jr. deliver an impressive performance. He began with a first-round stoppage over New Zealand’s Connor Anderson and went on to secure a unanimous decision victory against Algeria’s Mustapha Abdou in the semifinals.

In the final match against India’s Rahul Kundu, Awinongya Jr. maintained his dominance. He took the first round with a 10-9 score on all judges’ cards, and though Kundu rallied in the second, Awinongya Jr. closed out the third round with another 10-9 score on all cards, earning a 4-1 decision and securing the gold medal.

With this historic win, Awinongya Jr. has been selected to represent Team USA at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles