Ghanaian boxer, Samuel Takyi, has ended Ghana’s 30-year Olympic medal drought by winning bronze in the men’s boxing featherweight division at the Tokyo Olympics.
Takyi was cruising for Gold but lost to American Duke Ragan at the semi-final stage of the tournament.
The 20-year-old Takyi’s medal is the first for the country in 29 years, with the last medal (Bronze) obtained at the Barcelona 1992 games which was won by Ghana’s Under-23 football team.
The medal is also the fourth at the games for Ghana in the boxing event, with Takyi joining legends like Clement Quartey – 1960- Silver, Eddie Blay – 1964- Bronze, and Prince Amartey – 1972 – Bronze, as the only men to ever win Ghana an individual Olympic medal.
Takyi started slowly, compared to the American who won the first round.
The Ghanaian, just like in his quarter-final fight against Colombian Avila Sagura, rallied back in the second round, but he was caught multiple times by Ragan in a brawl of a 3rd round where neither of them dominated.
The judges scored the fight 4-1 in favour of the American, ending Takyi and Ghana’s dream of a gold medal from the boxing part of the Olympics.