Samuel Takyi: 20-year-old Boxer wins Ghana’s first Olympic medal in 29 years
Samuel Takyi makes Ghana proud after winning an Olympic medal at Tokyo 2020, a first Olympic medal for a Ghanaian athlete in 29 years.
Takyi conquered Colombia’s 32-year-old southpaw David Ceiber Avila, a far more experienced fighter, in the quarter-final, taking two of three rounds to send the Ghanaian contingent in the stands wild.
Takyi joins Ghanaian Olympic champions Clement Quartey, a light welterweight who won silver in Rome 1960, Eddie Blay a bronze light welterweight medallist from Tokyo 1964 and Prince Amartey who made history in Munch 1972.
The 20-year-old has triggered an impression by making the podium after his selection for the boxing team in Tokyo initially caused eyebrows to raise.
“His biggest challenge came in the quarter-finals against Ceiber Avila, the Colombian was eliminated at Rio 2016 before the medal rounds and was all out to make it count in what is likely his last Olympic Games.
Ceiber came out swinging, the much smaller fighter, he stayed in close and tried to negate Takyi’s height and reach advantage, smashing Takyi with body shots and surprising Ghana’s great hope with his work rate.
It was tenacious stuff from the Colombian whose punches-per-minute rate was off the charts, and the Colombian won the first round unanimously.
Takyi had to respond and stop the swarm, doing much better in the second round, upping the intensity, moving out of range of Ceiber’s wild swings and inside body work.
The Ghanaian took round two by 3-2 to leave himself a chance, 1-1 going into Round 3.
But it looked like it was going the veteran’s way as he tied up Takyi in the final round, spoiling and dragging and running down the clock.
But Ghana’s man has a maturity beyond his years, finished really strong, Ceiber Avila hanging on, trying to run down the clock, the young star grew, exploding into the final minute to land the punches that mattered.
He convinced three of five judges and that was all he needed.
The Ghanaian’s star is on the rise, and now he’ll have more than 30 million people in his corner him as he fights for a shot at Ghana’s first ever gold medal on Tuesday.”
Source: olympics.com
