Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Boxing – Men’s Featherweight – Quarterfinal – KKG – Kokugikan Arena – Tokyo, Japan – August 1, 2021. Samuel Takyi of Ghana in motion towards Ceiber Avila of Colombia REUTERS/Yara Nardi
TOKYO, Aug 1 (Reuters) – A dramatic day of action ahead of the gold-medal bouts begin highlighted a disqualification that led to a furious Frenchman refusing to budge from the ring, although Samuel Takyi secured Ghana’s initially Olympic boxing medal in virtually 50 yrs.
In the very last match of the early session at Tokyo’s Kokugikan arena on Sunday, French tremendous heavyweight Mourad Aliev was disqualified for what the referee considered an intentional headbutt – a connect with he protested with an hour-extended ringside sit-in.
That was after the Moscow-born Frenchman expressed his contempt for the choice by spitting out his mouth guard and kicking it away, flashing offensive gestures twice and shaking and punching a television digicam.
“It truly is entirely unfair — I was winning the match,” a calmer Aliev told a throng of reporters right after at last abandoning his ringside place. The to start with spherical experienced gone to Aliev 3-2.
His opponent, Britain’s Frazer Clarke, experienced cuts on his deal with and received the bout with four seconds still left in the 2nd round.
The working day turned out considerably improved for Ghanaian featherweight Samuel Takyi, who overpowered his Colombian opponent Ceiber Avila to get at minimum a bronze — the country’s to start with boxing medal in virtually 50 decades. It will also be the country’s initial medal at the Olympics given that Ghana won bronze in soccer in 1992.
“I am going to make background and I’m heading to gain the gold colour,” Takyi explained, his limited hair dyed golden for the Tokyo Video games.
As a panting Avila retreated to his corner immediately after the last bell, 20-yr-aged Takyi jumped up on the ropes to salute his Ghanaian staff mates in the stands, then pranced above to his corner to present off with a handful of thrust-ups.
“I want boxers in my division to see me,” he stated about his youthful screen. “I’m the ideal and I will be the ideal at any time. I’m heading to do something, I am likely to make a wonderful heritage.”
Takyi will meet American Duke Ragan in the semi-finals.
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Somewhere else, Filipino middleweight Eumir Marcial knocked out Armenia’s Arman Darchinyan with a correct hook to cruise into the semi-finals, securing him at the very least a bronze medal.
“It is like a dream occur accurate,” Marcial stated of his certain medal.
“When I was younger and started off boxing we talked about this with my father and… I’m an Olympic medallist now,” extra Marcial, who was trained by his father early on and now is effective with Hall-of-Fame trainer Freddie Roach in the United States.
“But I want the gold so I will do my best to give my very best performance and depart the relaxation to God.”
Britain’s Pat McCormack superior to the men’s welterweight final by walkover immediately after Ireland’s Aidan Walsh pulled out with an ankle damage. McCormack will facial area Cuba’s Roniel Iglesias.
It will be a Britain vs . Cuba ultimate also in the gentle-weighty category. Briton Ben Whittaker beat Russian Imam Khataev in the semi-finals and Cuban Arlen Lopez defeated Loren Berto Alfonso Dominguez, who moved from his native Cuba to Azerbaijan to improve his chances at competing at the leading amount.
Boxing powerhouse Cuba ended their winning streak on Sunday with the first decline amid their 7 boxers just after American Richard Torrez Jr grabbed a break up-conclusion victory above Dainier Pero in the tremendous-heavy quarter-finals.
The initially finals are on Tuesday.
Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Clare Fallon
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