The Ministry of Youth and Sports has clarified that President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo has fulfilled his promise to Ghana’s Olympic Bronze medalist, Samuel Takyi after his heroics in 2020.
Ahead of the qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games, Samuel Takyi is quoted to have disclosed that he wants an amount of US$20,000 which was promised him fulfilled before he will join the team.
In an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb, President of the Ghana Boxing Federation, Bernard Quartey stated that Samuel Takyi made some demands including being added to the Olympic Scholarship before he joined the Black Bombers.
However, the ministry stated that Takyi had already received $10,000 of the promised $20,000 from President Akufo-Addo. However, the remaining $10,000 will be given to him once he presents a "good personal development plan."
According to the Sports Ministry, Takyi received both the $10,000 cash prize and a Nissan Sunny saloon car, valued at $20,000, on November 18, 2021. Additionally, he collected $5,000 on December 16, 2022, and another $5,000 on July 27, 2023, which he claimed was intended to prepare him for the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifiers.
This leaves a balance of $10,000 from the $20,000 designated for Takyi's personal development, which will be given to him upon submission of a suitable personal development plan.
The Communications Director of the GBF, Jojo Ephson has also emphasized that the boxer has been duly compensated as he has taken 50% of the reward promised him.
According to him, the boxer now wants to benefit from Ghana’s Olympic Scholarship although he has gone professional and does not qualify to be a beneficiary.
“He wants to be part of the Olympic Scholarship because they get 9,000 as stipends. He came with that condition because he wanted to enjoy that scholarship. He has been given 50% of that money which is $10,000,” Jojo Ephson told Angel FM.
The ministry also stated that Samuel Takyi remains a member of the Black Bombers team, which is currently preparing for the qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal, scheduled for September 9-15, 2023.
Read the full statement from the Sports Ministry below
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Olympic bronze medalist, Samuel Takyi