Seventeen-year-old Mathias Ashitey delivered Ghana’s second win at the 2024 International Boxing Association (IBA) World Youth Championship in Budva, Montenegro, with a commanding 4-1 triumph over Israel’s Maik Eliyahu Tayber. This victory propels Ashitey into the round of 16 in the flyweight (51 kg) division.

Ashitey’s success comes after Ghana’s mixed start, with the Black Rockets winning just one out of their first four bouts. Ghana’s six-member team, participating in the event for the first time, is led by head coach Charles Quartey. Notably, 18-year-old Ebenezer Ankrah also secured a win in the lightweight (60 kg) division, advancing to the last 32.

Despite a few early exits for other Ghanaian boxers, Ashitey and George Nii Nortey Dowuona (who received a bye in the minimum weight category) are now vying for spots in the quarter-finals. Ankrah is also aiming for a spot in the last 16 as the tournament progresses.