Boxer Takyi lauded for ending Ghana's 29-year Olympic medal drought

ACCRA, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian boxing trainers who spoke to Xinhua on Monday lauded boxer Samuel Takyi for ending the country's 29-year medal drought in boxing.

Noah Awatey, the head trainer at the Akotoku Boxing Academy, the oldest boxing gym in the country, said the Ghanaian boxing team was performing so well. He lauded Takyi especially for putting up a sterling performance so far to be guaranteed an Olympic medal.

He is good, and we are praying that Takyi brings the gold medal to Ghana," he added.

The boxer's trainers at the Discipline Boxing Academy spoke passionately about the prospects of the boxer in the semifinal bout.

Emmanuel Quaye, one of the trainers, told Xinhua that the entire academy, including Takyi's stablemates, had been praying for him to return to Ghana with the Olympic gold medal.

"Takyi is a disciplined boxer and takes his training seriously, and he is a talented boxer as we saw him display at the Olympic Games. We are not surprised he has risen to this level," Quaye said.

Ghanaian boxer Samuel Takyi is set to win the country's first medal at the Olympic Games after defeating David Avila of Colombia in the men's featherweight event on Sunday to qualify for the semifinals.

Ghana last won an Olympic medal in 1992, when the men's U-23 soccer team took bronze at the Barcelona Olympic Games.