A former World Boxing Organisation (WBO), Bantamweight champion, Alfred “Cobra” Kotey of
Ghana is dead.
Koteym, 52, died in New York in the United States of America after a protracted illness.
Kotey, who represented Ghana at the 1988 Olympic Games and reigned as WBO champion between 1994 and 1995, was one of Ghana’s most skilful boxers.
According to local media reports, Kotey defeated Rafael DalValle of Puerto Rico on 30th July 1994 to win the WBO title in London and he also won the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Inter Continental Lightweight title.
Speaking on the death of the former champion, Yoofi Boham, who led Kotey to his world title triumph in 1994, said that the ex-boxer was one of the best fighters of his generation.
Mr Boham told Ghana’s Graphic Sports that the late fighter was on life support at a hospital in New York having lost his memory and remained speechless for sometime.
He explained that the late Kotey was an exceptional boxer whose laziness prevented him from staying at the top of the sport during his career days in the US.
“Alfred was a fantastic boxer, who could have reached greater heights without being lazy at some point in his career. He was focused and working harder until I moved him to the US.
“He managed to become a world champion, but I believe he could have reigned for long if he had stayed the hardworking and focused fighter I knew from his amateur days,” Mr. Boham said.
Born at Bukom in Accra on June 3, 1968, Kotey featured for Ghana in the 1988 Summer Olympics before turning professional in November that same year.
In July, 1994, the late former Ghanaian fighter became the nation’s fifth world champion after beating Puerto Rico’s Rafael Del Valle.
He also held the West African and Commonwealth flyweight titles in 1989 and 1990 respectively during his heyday.
GIK/APA