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Takyi goofed but…
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Ussif Mustapha (in white) speaking with Takyi during the car presentation
THE few days before the Black Bombers (Ghana national boxing team) departure to Dakar, Senegal for Paris 2024 Olympic Games was quite distractive.
The team camped for a period of time; away from the prying eye of the media and they enjoyed relative peace.
They had the focus and concentration needed for such a high profile competition.
And, then, the announcement of the invitation of boxing celebrity, Seth ‘Freezy MacBones’ Gyimah into the team was made. That ‘blew their cover’ and started attracting the attention of the media and the general public.
First, the public’s focus was the circumstances around his invitation, as it came few weeks after Olympic Games bronze medalist, Samuel Takyi, announced a return to the amateur ranks.
For the first time, Ghana had two professionals staging returns to the amateur level of the sport.
Takyi, who was Ghana’s sole medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games had left to join the professional rank and even won his first few fights under the Bazooka Boxing Promotions.
So, the announcement of his comeback came as a surprise.
But when the storm over the two seemed to have settled, the team’s camp was hit with another dispute with Takyi as a lead character.
Although it was well explained to him that he would have to ‘fight’ for a position in the team and everyone agreed, his absence in the final team that left Accra to Dakar on Wednesday has attracted different interpretations.
With the above explanation, it was clear Takyi was not included because he failed to make the mark.
And that was fair!
But Takyi’s decision to hold the entire nation to ransom by demanding arrears owed him by the state, and unequivocally declaring that until payment was made to him, he would not fight for Ghana, plainly fuelled another school of thought that he stepped on some big toes and was paying the price for that.
As an ardent follower of boxing with a fair understanding of the rules that governs it, I would respect the decision of the technical team led by Coach Ofori Asare to leave him out. I am doing so because of my
enormous respect for him and belief that there was no underhand dealings.
That, notwithstanding, it is important to also consider the views of the boxer who genuinely felt the state owed him US$20,000 for his efforts that won the nation a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Eventually, it proved to be true but as to how he got the amount owed him wrong still beat imagination.
Before traveling to Tokyo, athletes were promised various sums of money depending on the medals they win at the Games.
With a bronze medal feat, Takyi came home dreaming about pocketing a whopping US$50,000.
That amount was exact but the breakdown suggested that other factors would reduce the cash component to US$10,000.
Rightly, when the team arrived and called on the presidency, Takyi’s package, just like the other boxers that rode on his popularity, were announced.
For his reward, he was given a car which according to the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) cost $20,000, leaving an amount of $30,000; out of which he received $10,000 in cash while $20,000 was to go into a fund to aid his career development.
Obviously, that is one area a lot of the athletes kick against behind the scenes but have not mustered the courage to spill it out.
Following that was the MoYS response that captured every detail of the ‘transaction’ to clear its image and that of the government.
“The attention of the Ministry of Youth and Sports has been drawn to media publication on the demands from Mr Samuel Takyi with respect to the promise of US$20,000 made to him by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”
It stated that: “The government of Ghana has fufilled its pledge to the Tokyo Olympics team, including Mr Samuel Takyi. The promise was made up of $150,000 detailed as follows.
Of that amount, $100,000 was for the team made up of 14 athletes and seven coach¬es and $50,000 for Takyi for winning the bronze medal.
By Andrew Nortey
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
