Ghanaian Boxer, Shakul Samed, has apologised to Ghanaians for his early exit in the Round of 16 of the Light heavyweight category of the Men’s Olympics boxing.
Samed lost to experienced Turkish boxer Bayram Malkan via a second round technical knockout, becoming the first Ghanaian boxer to depart the Tokyo 2020 games.
The round of 16 bout was a competitive brawl until a right hook from Malkan sent Samed reeling and onto his backside.
Four of the five judges scored the first round in favour of Malkan and he looked set to win the second round as well until his right hook ended the bout prematurely.
The referee, after determining that the Ghanaian was unfit to continue, ended the bout with 1:23 seconds left in the second round.
The 22-year old says he is disappointed about his exit but insists he gave his best.
“I am disappointed but what happened in the ring was not my fault.” He said
“I want to apologise for not fulfilling my promises, but I know I gave my best in the bout. If you watched it, you will see I fought like a hero.
“I however still have hope that my two brothers ( Sulemanu Tetteh and Samuel Takyi) can bring back home a medal because if they win, I also win.”
His exit leaves only two Ghanaian boxers remaining in the games after Black Bombers captain, Sulemanu Tetteh qualified to the Round 3 stage on Monday, while Samuel Takyi progressed to the quarterfinals on Wednesday.