Ghana’s Frederick Assor was 12th in Wednesday’s qualifiers of the men’s B4000m individual pursuit in para-cycling at the current 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

His time of 6 minutes 28.302 seconds was not enough to get him to the next stage of the competition and he was thus eliminated. Frederick Assor will compete in the 1,500 meters race.

Emmanuel Nii Tetteh Oku, one of Ghana’s 3 Paralympic athletes in whom there is some hope, will compete in the men’s para powerlifting event on Saturday, August 28 at 2pm.

Para high jumper, Yusif Amadu, is supposed be in action on Monday, August 31 at 10:25am in the men’s T63 high jump event, but reports reaching us state he has been injured at training.

Ghana is represented by three para athletes.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

President of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF), Mr. George Lamptey has disclosed that Ghana will take part in the 2021 celebrations of the International Boxing Day which comes up on August 27, 2021 in collaboration with the international body, AIBA, Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) and the National Sports Authority (NSA).

In an exclusive interview with Yours Truly, the assiduous President said Ghana did very well at the recent Olympic Games, and the star boxer, Samuel Takyi who won a Bronze medal has been recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

According to Mr. Lamptey, the GBF will host a boxing event at the Golden Beach Hotel, which accommodated the Black Bombers before they went to Japan, where some boxers and officials will exhibit their skills.

He said the GBF wants to show appreciation to all the individuals and companies that supported them before and during the Games, like  President Nana Akufo Addo, Alhaji Inusah, Dr. Henry Manly-Spain, Geodrill, Mr. Harper, Bukom Boxing News, Get Vim Ghana, Trust Sports Emporium, Madar Soap, Besesaka, GOC, NSA, Ministry of Youth & Sports and others.

He hinted that Samuel Takyi is still an amateur boxer who the nation wants to support because of his talent and discipline.

“He has the opportunity to be greater, we have the 2022 Commonwealth Games, 2023 African Games and Paris 2024 Olympic Games all coming up, so he should take advantage of his experience, to gather more medals, then he can turn to the pro ranks. He is young and needs to be guided’ he expressed.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Ghana's Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif has claimed the country will build on its performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by doing "even better" when it hosts the 2023 African Games.

Ghana returned from the Olympics in the Japanese capital, which concluded on August 8, with one medal.

Samuel Takyi's bronze in the men's featherweight boxing category at Tokyo 2020 was Ghana's first Olympic medal since Barcelona 1992.

Ussif vowed to ensure the country can surpass that performance when the nation stages the 2023 African Games, where events are set to take place in capital city Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast.

Doubts have been raised over the status of the 2023 Games, with plans for a new Olympic Stadium in Borteyman in Accra recently shelved after COVID-19 enforced delays in construction.

"My brief stay in Tokyo with the team afforded me the opportunity to meet with heads of various International Sports Federations to solicit their support for the 2023 African Games in Accra," Ussif said during the Ghanaian Olympic team's visit to Jubilee House to meet with President Nana Akufo-Addo.

"We do not only want to stage the most successful African Games ever, but we also want to build on the impressive performance of Team Ghana at the Tokyo Olympics by doing much better at African Games in 2023."

The Ghanaian Government is set to borrow $170 million (£124 million/€144 million) to help fund the 2023 African Games.

The loan is intended to contribute towards the cost of sports and residential infrastructure required for the Games.

Ghana was awarded the Games in 2018 over Nigeria and Burkina Faso.

The last African Games took place in Rabat, the Moroccan capital, in 2019.

The multi-sport event features competitors from the 54 members of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa.

By Liam Morgan 

Ghana Black Queens have been invited to participate in the Aisha Buhari Tourney in Lagos, Nigeria from 13^th - 21st September 2021.

The international tournament will involve 10 matches: from the Group stage to the Semifinals, Third-place and Final two Venues; the newly renovated Onikan Stadium and Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

The competition is Free entry to allow spectators to see the future female stars of Africa.

The opening game will be between Nigeria and Morocco to be played at the Onikan Stadium.

According to citi news in Nigeria, former Super Falcons forward, Perpetua Nkwocha, has described the upcoming Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Tournament tagged ‘Aisha Buhari Cup’ as a great step in the right direction that will bring hope and inspiration to the girl-child.

The four-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year pledged her full support for the event, saying it will promote women’s football around the continent.

“I want to appreciate everyone that brought this initiative that will give hope and encouragement to women and the girl-child,” Nkwocha stated.

“Aisha Buhari Cup is a great step in the right direction and it’s a good development for football in Nigeria and Africa.

“It’s a major step to promote and inspire lots of women footballers and particularly the girl-child. The tournament is important because it will bring hope and inspiration to girl childs, enabling them to follow their passion for football and live their football dreams. I want to sincerely show my total support for this tournament and I wish all the participants good luck.”

In another development, Nigeria Coach Randy Waldrum has called for caution after his team were drawn against Morocco and Mali in Group A of the tournament which many have described as a weaker group.

“Regarding the draw, I think we have to be careful. Nigeria is the team the whole of Africa wants to beat. We have to prepare for every match and be ready. I want to thank all the people responsible for putting this tournament together and I am so looking forward to it.”

Ghana’s Black Queens have been paired with Cameroon and South Africa in Group B in the upcoming Dr. Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Football Tournament.

The tournament, dubbed ‘Playing for Good’, would see six nations compete in honour of the First Lady of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari in conjunction with the Aisha Buhari Foundation.

By Elizabeth Alhassan

The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), has announced December 3, 2021 as the date for the 46th edition of the annual SWAG Awards.

The 2021 edition of the prestigious and longest running award event in Ghana, will confer honors on the nations most distinguished sports personalities in the year under review.

The 46th edition of the Awards will be characterized by beauty and innovation with pre-event ceremonies where straight jacket and known category winners will be decorated at special events ahead of the main event.

The SWAG secretariat in the coming weeks will announce the shortlist for the various categories from the SWAG Awards Nomination Committee at an event launch soon.

SWAG, the umbrella body for the sports media in Ghana is the body solely responsible for honoring Ghanaian sportsmen & women who excel in their various fields.

The SWAG Awards was instituted in 1975 and has gone unbroken.

Source - SWAG

Former Ghana Boxing Authority president, Moses Foh Amoaning, says he is happy Samuel Takyi has rescinded his decision to turn professional.

The Olympic bronze medalist had wanted to turn professional after the Olympics but had to change his mind after consulting his team.

“I had wanted to go professional due to talks in town. But after engaging my team, I will continue with amateur boxing. I have many bouts coming up in the future and I want to raise the flag of Ghana high. My focus now is on the Commonwealth Games and probably the next Olympic Games. For now, I will be fighting in the amateur level”, he told Happy 98.9FM.

Lawyer Moses Foh Amoaning in an interview on Wamputu Sports with Odiasempa Kwame Oware reacted to the decision of the young boxer to rescind his decision.

“I am happy he has rescinded his decision to turn professional. With professional sports, there are so many problems at the moment.

“I will meet his team so we can guide him to be successful. There are a lot of competitions coming up, the Commonwealth Games, the Amateur Boxing League, and the African Games which will help him to get the needed experience before he turns professional”.

“We are going to guide him and he should stay with the Amateur boxing for now and he will be fine”, he added.

Source - www.happyghana.com

Ghana’s Bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympic Games, Samuel Takyi, has rescinded his decision to go professional and says he is preparing for future international competitions.

The 20 year old skillful boxer was the only African boxer to win a medal, and was selected to be on the IOC podium at the closing ceremony of the Games.

Takyi aka ‘Ring Warrior’ on Saturday revealed in an interview that he was going professional after his Tokyo feat.

But speaking in an interview on Happy 98.9FM on Monday, Takyi indicated that after consultations with his team, he has decided to stay in the amateur ranks for now.

“I had wanted to go professional due to talks in town. But after engaging my team, I will continue with amateur boxing. I have many bouts coming up in the future and I want to raise the flag of Ghana high. My focus now is on the Commonwealth Games and probably the next Olympic Games. For now, I will be fighting in the amateur level”, he told Ohene-Bampoe Brenya on Happy Sports.

Takyi also pleaded with the government to support boxing athletes in the country ahead of the Commonwealth Games and future competition.

“I hope the government will give us the needed support in the future.

“We need to go on training tours and also fight different opponents so we will get the needed exposure”, he added.

The product of Discipline Boxing Gym is Ghana’s first athlete to win an Olympic medal in 29 years, and first boxer to win a medal in 49 years.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Ghana’s lone bronze medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Samuel Takyi has disclosed that he is no longer going to fight amateur, but will join the paid ranks and still raise the flag of his nation.

Speaking on TV3’s popular weekend show ‘Warm Up Plus, the 20 year old boxer said “Am going professional, and hope God will help me to do it and raise the flag of Ghana high”.

“Me and my coach are ready for professional. I have a dream, I have to make it, I am young and I have records to break. We must make it earlier” he expressed.

According to the ‘Ring Warrior’ it is the dream of every serious sportsman to go to the Olympic Games, and once he has gained that experience and won a medal, he has to move on.
Many officials, including the President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah tried to convince him to go to the 2022 Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, but Takyi says he is done with the amateur level.

The President of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) Mr. George Lamptey says it will be sad for the national team to lose such a gem, but he cannot force him, so they only have to find new talents to replace him, like how he came from nowhere to become an international hero.

He described Takyi as a real star who is very serious, and does what he predicts.

He congratulated him for putting Ghana’s name on the medals table at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Takyi trains under coach Lawrence Ampofo Quaye at the Discipline Boxing Gym in Accra.

He was called into the Black Bombers in 2019, and qualified in Senegal for the Olympic Games where he placed fourth best and first in Africa.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

 Ghana Olympic Committee President, Ben Nunoo Mensah is optimistic that Team Ghana can win more medals in future competitions should they get the needed support and funding.

Team Ghana managed to win one medal at the just ended Tokyo Olympic Games.

Samuel Takyi won a bronze medal for Ghana in Boxing.

Ben Nunoo Mensah in an interview on Wamputu Sports on Happy 98.9FM said this is the time for government to invest in the least finance sports as events from Tokyo showed a lot of promise from the athletes.

“With enough support we will be able to do more. This is the time to invest in the least finance sports. If boxing was able to get the needed support we can win more medals in the Olympics.Boxing can win more medals for us in the African Games”, he told Odiasempa Kwame Oware on Happy 98.9FM.

The former Ghana Weightlifting President also thanked the President for recognizing the efforts of the athletes at the Olympics.

The President Nana Akufo-Addo rewarded the efforts of each athlete with $10000 whilst Bronze medalist Samuel Takyi was given a car plus an additional $20,000 for his development.

“We hope this will also open doors for other Corporate Bodies to support and reward Alex Takyi and Team Ghana”, the GOC president added on the reward package from the presidency.

Joseph Awinongya Jnr continues to make Joliet, a city in Illinois, USA proud having annexed so many honours in his juvenile boxing career.

Awinongya Jnr, born to Ghanaian parents in the United States, has progressed steadily in his young boxing career after winning numerous competitions across the US.

The young fighter added a gold medal from the National USA Junior Olympics and Summer Festival in Lubbock, Texas recently to his already decorated juvenile career.

 *Awinongya Jr made history by becoming the first athlete in the discipline of boxing to win gold at the Junior Olympics from Joliet.

This year's Junior Olympics attracted over 15,000 athletes and officials. 1,100 athletes participated in boxing with about 700 coaches and 80 officials.*

Awinongya Jnr’s recent achievement has earned him so much respect in Joliet with Mayor Bob O'DeKirk keen on honouring the youngster for his achievements

That honour includes a decision to host a boxing show on September 25 to raise funds in support of his boxing career for placing Joliet on the map.

“The city will want to honor this young man by hosting a boxing show in September to raise funds for his career. He keeps putting Joliet in the news and now Illinois, we're proud of you,” said O'DeKirk.

The 14-year-old hold’s Ghana dear to his heart despite being born in the US. He is looking forward to visiting the country for the first time later this year.

Awinongya Jnr wants to use this opportunity to meet Alhaji Inussah Sally his god father,  Samuel Anim Addo and Dauda Fuseni amongst others who keep supporting him.

“I have to come home to meet all these people that have supported my career since I decided to become a boxer. I expect an emotional feeling when I finally meet them".

“I'm grateful to a lot of people for how far I have come in my boxing career. Azumah Nelson and Alhaji Inusah Sally have supported me since I took up boxing and I am extremely grateful for their support and guidance all these years” he told the Mirror in an interview.

Meanwhile, Awinongya Jr has been named as an ambassador for the Joliet Police department to serve as a role model to young children in the area of sport. The announcement led to the Chicago Sun-Times, one of the most circulated newspapers in Chicago, to do a documentary on him.

He also expressed his gratitude to the former Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar, Will County President Jennifer Bertino, Secretary of State, Jesse White, Joliet Police Department,  Wasfi Tolaymat, and Hawk Chevrolet of Joliet for their immense contribution to his success.

By Mustapha Nettey