On Tuesday, December 17, former Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye called for the replacement of the recently mounted statue of the outgoing President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, in the Western Region with that of Eddie Blay’s.
Hon Nii Lante, while addressing the floor of Parliament, argued that it is about time the current generation of people in the Western Region celebrated the great Edward Blay.
“I will be happy if, instead of the President’s statue at the Effiankwanta roundabout, we have Eddie Blay’s statue there to tell people from the Western Region that it is not only Ekow Krane who exhibited wonders in boxing, but there was once an Eddie Blay,” he said.
Many, especially the young generation, might be wondering who Eddie Blay is, not knowing the lasting impact he made on the boxing discipline in not only in Ghana, but the whole of Africa.
Born on November 9, 1937, in Takoradi, Eddie Blay rose to prominence after winning bronze at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo after grabbing gold in 1962, then repeating the same feat four years later in Kingston, Jamaica.
Despite never going through secondary education, Eddy became a self-taught person, acquiring so much knowledge and becoming a polygot.
He settled for a quiet life in Italy after his retirement from boxing before returning to Ghana after twelve years with his wife, Daniella, whom he was married to for about thirty years. The couple opened and operated Sole Mio, a popular Italian restaurant in Osu, until his demise.
