Ghanaian boxer Samuel Takyi has demanded that the $20,000 promised to him by President Akufo-Addo be paid before he joins Ghana’s boxing team for the 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers.
Takyi secured bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, entering the history books after ending Ghana’s 29-year wait for an Olympic medal.
The West African nation had only won four medals since the inception of the Olympic Games, of which three came from boxing.
Takyi’s heroics in Tokyo, therefore, made him only the fifth Ghanaian (if you consider the Satellites as a collective unit) Olympic medalist.
For his reward, he was given a car and $30,000 by President Akufo-Addo – he received $10,000 in cash while $20,000 was to go into his career development fund.
Two years on, it has now emerged that the boxer is demanding that the remaining $20,000 be paid to him before he competes in the 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers.
The President of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation, Bernard Quartey, said Takyi has therefore been dropped from the Black Bombers team for the qualifiers due to his demands.
“He was also demanding the money that was pledged by the president [Akufo-Addo] is $20,000 which was supposed to be used as a developmental fee for him,” he stated, as quoted by Ghana web.
Secondly, he demanded that before he joined the team, he should be given an Olympic Scholarship. These are the conditions he demanded but we don’t have the power to dictate it. He is welcome to join but not with conditionalities.
“Looking at the situation, the coach thought it wise that he was not prepared psychologically. We are going with this team and if someone in his weight qualifies it means we have to find another weight for him at the next qualifies.”
Meanwhile, UK-based Ghanaian boxer Freezy Macbones is part of the Black Bombers team heading to Senegal for the Olympic Games qualifiers.
