Since the Black Meteors won an Olympic Medal at the Barcelona 92 Olympics, Ghana has not achieved a podium finish at the perennial event, but all that is about to change with at least a bronze medal finish guaranteed in featherweight boxing category of the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Samuel Takyi, a 20-year old boxer defeated Colombia’s Ceiber Avila to guarantee a semifinal spot which automatically qualifies him for a bronze medal finish at the ongoing games. It’s Ghana’s first boxing medal in almost 50 years and their first medal since 1992.
Too Close, Too Far For Adegoke, Simbine
On Sunday, Africa’s fastest man, Akani Simbine and Nigeria’s Enoch Adegoke took on the rest of the world in the 100m finals.
Simbine, who ran an impressive 9.90s in the semifinals was however unable to finish on the medals table as his 9.93s was only enough to see him place 4th in the final. Adegoke on the other hand stopped midway into the final after pulling his hamstring. He had raced to second place in the semifinal, after achieving a 10.00s finish. He however managed to become Nigeria’s first male athlete since Atlanta 96’ to qualify for and compete in the final of the Olympics.
Looking on to the Leap
Tobiloba Amusan, representing Nigeria in the 100m hurdles also became the first Nigerian to qualify for an Olympics final since Gloria Alozie in Sydney 2000. Amusan ran a time of 12.62s to qualify for the final.
Nigeria’s Ese Brume will also hope to leap to glory in the final of the Long Jump on Tuesday after a 6.76m leap was all she needed to make it to the finals of the event. Brume, who is the World Indoor Champion is one of the most highly-rated long-jumpers at the Olympics.
Long Distance Dominance for Africa
Ethiopian Selemon Barega and South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker won a gold medal on Friday. Barega pipped the Ugandan duo of Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo to silver and bronze finishes to claim gold in the 10,000m.
Kenya’s Helen Obiri and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay have also qualified for the final of the women’s 5,000m on Monday. Other Kenyans to qualify are Agnes Tirop and Lilian Kasait Rengeruk, with Ethiopian duo Senbere Teferi and Ejgayehu Taye, through to same final.