In a surprising turn of events, Samuel Takyi, the talented Ghanaian boxer who won a remarkable bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, will not be able to represent Ghana in the Paris 2024 Olympic boxing qualifiers in Senegal.
Despite earlier assurances from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Takyi was unable to join the team that left Ghana for Senegal this morning.
The Communications Director for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Charles Amofa, had confirmed to HappySports that Takyi would indeed be part of the team heading to Senegal.
Amofa also revealed that Takyi had already received $10,000 of the $20,000 promised to him by President Akufo-Addo as a reward for his outstanding performance in Tokyo. However, the remaining $10,000 would only be disbursed to the 22-year-old boxer once he presented a “good personal development plan.”
The unexpected development comes amidst reports suggesting that Takyi had reservations about participating in the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifying event unless he received the full $20,000 promised and an Olympic scholarship.
However, it appears that expectations of Takyi competing in the Paris 2024 qualifiers have hit a stumbling block.
Reports reaching HappySports indicate that Takyi was unable to join the team as they departed from Ghana to Senegal this morning.
Additionally, the official list of athletes to represent Ghana released by the Ghana Boxing Association excluded the name of the promising boxer, Samuel Takyi.
Unconfirmed reports also suggest that Takyi’s passport has expired, preventing him from traveling with the rest of the squad.
This unfortunate situation means that Takyi will not have the opportunity to compete in the qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal, where Ghana is being represented by a team comprising 7 males and 5 females, including UK-based Ghanaian boxer Freezy Macbones.
Takyi’s absence from the qualifiers is undoubtedly a setback for Ghana’s boxing hopes, and it remains to be seen how this situation will be resolved in the coming days.
Efforts for confirmation or updates from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, on the other hand has not been successful as of now. Happy Sports is keenly following this story and will provide followers with updates
