Outgoing President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ben Nunoo Mensah, says one of the most emotional and defining moments of his presidency was watching boxer Samuel Takyi stand on the podium at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Takyi won bronze in the men’s featherweight division, ending Ghana’s 29-year Olympic medal drought. It was the country’s first medal since 1992, when the Black Meteors won bronze in men’s football at the Barcelona Games.
Speaking ahead of the upcoming GOC elections, Ben Nunoo Mensah recounted how deeply the moment affected him.
Ghana hadn’t been on the Olympic podium for close to 30 years, and for Samuel Takyi to go up there—and even be invited to stand next to the IOC President, Thomas Bach, during the closing ceremony; was incredibly emotional. I shed a tear when I saw him up there. That, I’ll say, was something that really hit me
Nunoo Mensah, who has served as GOC President since 2017, confirmed he will not seek re-election in the upcoming congress scheduled for later this month. He has instead thrown his support behind those who will succeed him including the current GOC Secretary-General Richard Akpokavie and another candidate, M. O. Aggrey, as potential successors.
Under his leadership, Ghana not only returned to the Olympic podium but also made significant strides in Olympic sport development, athlete welfare, and infrastructure improvement. His tenure also oversaw Ghana’s participation in major international games, including the Youth Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and African Games.
The upcoming GOC elections are expected to usher in a new leadership structure that will guide Ghana’s Olympic movement into the next Olympic cycle, with the Paris 2024 Games fast approaching.
As Ben Nunoo Mensah prepares to step aside, he leaves behind a legacy marked by one of Ghana’s proudest modern Olympic moments.
