Professional career
David Kotey turned professional under trainer Attuquaye Clottey. His first professional bout was on 5 February 1966 in Accra when he outpointed his opponent over six rounds. He became the national featherweight champion that year. [3] Although he fought once in neighbouring Togo in 1967, all his subsequent fights through to 1971 were all in Ghana. In 1972 however, he fought as much as seven times in Australia, winning five and losing two. He won the African featherweight title on 2 February 1974 when he knocked out Tahar Ben Hassen in the first round of a scheduled 15 round fight in Tunis, Tunisia. Later on 7 December 1974, he also won the Commonwealth featherweight title with a technical knock out over Evan Armstrong, a British boxer in round 10 of a scheduled 15 rounds bout. This victory gave him an opportunity to go for the World Boxing Council version of the world title. On 20 September 1975, in The Forum, Inglewood, California, United States, he beat Rubén Olivares by split points decision after 15 rounds to become the first Ghanaian world boxing champion. [4] [5] He relinquished the African and Commonwealth titles following this victory. The Ghana government gave him an estate house at Teshie-Nungua, an Accra suburb in honour of this achievements in boxing. [6] He however lost the title in his third defence on 6 November 1976 by unanimous points decision to Danny "Little Red" Lopez in a fierce fight in Accra, Ghana.He is married with three daughters. He also defeated Fuku Yama in Japan.
DK Poison was never the same again after this defeat. He failed in 1978 to regain either the world or commonwealth featherweight titles. His last professional bout was in 1989 when he lost an African lightweight title fight. [7] [8]
Loan to Ghana
According to reports and Kotey's own story, in 1976, he loaned an amount of 45,000 dollars to the Government of Ghana, then led by Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. [9] The money was intended for the purchase of canned mackerel to mitigate the harsh economic and food conditions the country was facing. The loan had been facilitated by his management, which was led by Col John Slater. [9] According to Kotey, the money was part of his reward for defending his title against Japan's Fuku Yama in 1976. The loan has not been paid back to date because shortly after the canned mackerels arrived in the country, the Acheampong's regime was overthrown by General Akuffo in a military palace coup in October 1975. [9] In September 2019,the president of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo noted that he would look into the issue. [10] This was at a meeting with a delegation of former world boxing champions from Ghana. [11] [5]
The president of Ghana,Nana Akuffo Addo, on 6 October 2020 has directed an amount of $45,000 that was owed by Ghana to him on "compassionate grounds". [12] [13]
Azumah Nelson is a Ghanaian former professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 2008. He was a two-weight world champion, having held the WBC featherweight title from 1984 to 1987 and the WBC super-featherweight title twice between 1988 and 1997. He also challenged once for the unified WBC and IBF lightweight titles in 1990. At regional level, he held the ABU, and Commonwealth featherweight titles between 1980 and 1982. Widely considered one of the greatest African boxers of all time, he is currently ranked as the 69th greatest pound for pound boxer of all time by BoxRec.
Jerry John Rawlings was a Ghanaian military officer, aviator and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected president of Ghana.
Edward Akufo-Addo was a Ghanaian politician and lawyer. He was a member of the "Big Six" leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and one of the founding fathers of Ghana who engaged in the fight for Ghana's independence. He became the Chief Justice (1966–70), and later ceremonial President (1970–72), of the Republic of Ghana. He was the father of the current (executive) President of Ghana, Nana Addo Akufo-Addo.
The Ga-Dangbe, Ga-Dangme, Ga-Adangme or GaDangme are an ethnic group in Ghana, Togo and Benin. The Ga and Dangbe people are grouped respectively as part of the Ga–Dangme ethnolinguistic group. The Ga-Dangmes are one ethnic group that lives primarily in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Ethnic Ga family names (surnames) include Nikoi, Amon, Kotey, Kotei, Adei, Adjei, Kutorkor, Oblitey, Lartey, Nortey, Aryee, Obodai, Oboshi, Torgbor, Torshii and Lante. The following are names derived from the ethnic Dangme and common among the Ningos Nartey, Tetteh, Kwei, Kweinor, Kwetey, Narteh, Narh, Dugbatey, Teye, Martey, Addo, Siaw, Saki, Amanor, Djangba. These are aligned to the ethnic Ga as well: Lomo, Lomotey, Tetteh, Ankrah, Tetteyfio, Laryea, Ayitey, Okai, Bortey, Quaye, Quaynor, Ashong, Kotei, Sowah, Odoi, Ablor, Adjetey, Dodoo, Darku and Quartey.
Isufu "Ike" Quartey is a Ghanaian former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2006. He held the WBA welterweight title from 1994 to 1998, and challenged once for IBF junior-middleweight title in 2000.
The Accra Sports Stadium, formerly named the Ohene Djan Stadium, is a multi-use stadium located in Accra, Ghana, mostly used for association football matches. It is also used for rugby union.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian politician who has served as the president of Ghana since 2017. He previously served as Attorney General from 2001 to 2003 and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2007 under the Kufuor-led administration.
Major General Robert Ebenezer Abossey Kotei was a soldier, politician and track and field athlete. He was once the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces and also a member of the Supreme Military Council that ruled Ghana between 1975 and 1979. He was executed in 1979, following a military coup. He also held the Ghanaian high jump record for many years.
Gloria Akuffo is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician who serves as the Attorney General of Ghana and Minister for Justice, since 2017. She is a former Deputy Attorney General and Aviation Minister.
Emmanuel Clottey is a Ghanaian former professional boxer who competed from 1995 to 2016. As an amateur, he competed at the 1994 Commonwealth Games.
Ghana gained independence from the British on 6 March 1957. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The country became a republic on July 1, 1960.
Braimah Isaac Kamoko also known as Bukom Banku is a Ghanaian professional boxer who until 20 October 2017 had an undefeated record of 28-0-0. However, on 21 October 2017, he suffered a TKO defeat to Bastie Samir at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana, in a seventh round. On 7 September 2019, he defeated Rojhat Bilgetekin of Germany in the 3rd round at St George Hall in Bradford in the United Kingdom.
Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian public figure and the current first lady of Ghana as the wife of President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Nicholas Yaw Boafo Adade (1927–2013) was a former supreme court judge and Attorney General of the Republic of Ghana. He was the Attorney General of Ghana between 14 April 1969 to 1970 in the Busia government. He was also Member of Parliament for Asante Akim South constituency in the 2nd Ghanaian Republic.
Nii Ayikoi Otoo is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician. He belongs to the New Patriotic political party. He served as Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Ghana in the John Agyekum Kufour administration. He is currently Ghana's high commissioner to Canada.
Joshua Kyeremeh was a Ghanaian politician and administrator and security expert. He was a member of the New Patriotic Party and was National security coordinator for the President of Ghana.
Nana Bediatuo Asante is a Ghanaian administrator, lawyer and consultant. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party. He is the current Executive Secretary to the President of Ghana and the Apagyahene of Akyem Abuakwa.
Bukom Boxing Arena is the first boxing arena to be built in Ghana. The multipurpose facility was commissioned by John Dramani Mahama in November 2016 and has a seating capacity of 4000. Other facilities in the open-air edifice include a sports hall, Aerobic centre, Olympic size swimming pool and conference hall. The arena was constructed in Bukom due to the numerous world boxing champions the community has produced. Apart from boxing, the arena hosts basketball tournaments. The arena is adorned with the names of Ghanaian world boxing champions and otherwise famous Ghanaian boxers, such as Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, D.K. Poison and others.
Akwei Addo
Orion Cinema Hall, Accra 
Danny Lopez 
Laurent Bazie
Rubén Olivares 
Evan Armstrong 
Tahar Ben Hassen