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Takyi must delay move to turn pro : advises boxing expert
He said 20-year-old Takyi should not be pressured to join the paid ranks of boxing but aim for gold medals in the two upcoming championships to cement his status in Ghana's boxing history and build on his experience before turning professional.
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The advice from the former Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) president comes in the wake of calls by former WBA welterweight champion, Ike Bazooka Quartey, and some connoisseurs of the sport for Takyi to turn professional following his exploits at the just-ended Olympic Games in Tokyo.
“Takyi still has age on his side, so he must not rush into fighting as a professional. He can compete in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 African Games and aim for gold,” said Mr Foh-Amoaning, who is also a consultant for both the Ghana Boxing Federation and GBA.
He advised the new poster boy for amateur boxing not to be carried away by his exploits in Tokyo but rather stay focused and start training earnestly for future international competitions.
“He must remain focused. He must keep training. He must not be swollen headed. He must not rest on his oars,” he told this paper.
For the former GBA boss, Takyi's feat in the Tokyo games was an endorsement of the Bukom Fist of Fury, a novelty league of juvenile, amateur and professional boxing which in 2018 gave Takyi a platform to further develop his talents during the maiden competition before gaining a place in the national amateur team, Black Bombers.
He said there were more Takyis around who needed a platform like Bukom Fist of Fury to unleash their potential and hone their talents, hence the need for corporate partners to invest in such competitions.
He thanked the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation and Ghana Gas Company Limited for supporting the project which had discovered national assets such as Takyi and other professional boxers now making a living through the sport.
