A SOCCER player from Japan has been roped in to be Joseph Kwadjo’s sparring partner.
The Ghanaian boxer is preparing for a super middleweight bout with Georgian Shalva Jomardashvili next month in his homeland.
Kwadjo’s trainer Gyan Singh said no one in Fiji wanted to spar with him because they were afraid of the orthodox boxer.
Manaf Mashood, Kwadjo’s cousin, is a former boxer of Ghana, who is playing soccer in Japan, and has been with Kwadjo this week helping him prepare for the fight.
“No locals wanted to spar with Kwadjo, so we have had to bring in his cousin from Japan,” Singh said.
“My son Sebastian was sparing with Kwadjo until he was also offered a fight so now he is preparing for that,” he said.
“Now that his cousin has come in, Kwadjo is sparring again and is building up for the fight.”
Kwadjo said he and his cousin (Mashood) trained together in Ghana until he came to Fiji.
“I came here and he had no one to train with so he took up soccer and now he is playing in Japan so he has improved since I last saw him.
“Now he has come back to help me and I thank him for that,” said the 27-year-old.
Mashood said Kwadjo had become a better boxer since his days in Ghana.
“He has been getting a lot of good training here in Fiji so he has become better than I had last seen him.
“He said he needed a sparring partner and so I am here to help my cousin win his fight,” Mashood said.
Meanwhile, Kwadjo yesterday received $2000 to prepare for the fight that will take place on October 27.
“I would like to thank Grants Betting Limited and its director Peter McCoy for his support and also my other sponsors Friends Nite Club, Toorak Café, Metro Fitness Gym, Road and Sealing Services and my manager Rocky John Wayne Wong and I would like to let them know I will not let them down,” he said.