Ghana’s Samuel Takyi faced defeat against Japan’s Shion Nishiyama in the Men’s Light Welterweight Division at the Olympic Qualifying bout held in Busto Arsizio, Italy.
Takyi, known for securing a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, was anticipated to reverse Ghana’s fortunes following setbacks experienced by Team Ghana earlier in the day.
He suffered a unanimous 5-0 loss to the Japanese, losing on the scorecard of all five judges.
The day commenced on a subdued tone with female boxer Anatu Mohammed losing to Romanian Lorendana Marin in the Women’s Lightweight Division, and Alfred Kotey falling to Milos Bartl of the Czech Republic in the Men’s Light Middleweight Division.
These defeats, coupled with earlier eliminations of UK-born Ghanaian heavyweight Mark Kodjovi Ahondjo and light heavyweight Jonathan Tetteh, mark the departure of five out of seven Ghanaian boxers from the competition.
Despite these setbacks, there remains a ray of hope for the team. They will have another opportunity to secure Olympic slots at the forthcoming qualifiers scheduled to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, in May.
Meanwhile, Theophilus Kpakpo Allottey remains Ghana’s sole contender in Italy.
Following his unanimous points victory against World Championships quarter-finalist Tu Po-Wei of Taiwan, Allottey is poised to compete against Bhutan’s Tashi Wangdi in the round of 16 on Wednesday.
In the Women’s category, Janet Acquah is slated to compete on Friday in the Flyweight Division, adding to Ghana’s ongoing efforts in the tournament.