Tokyo 2020: General Captain of Team Ghana advises Ghanaian sports fans to be positive minded

The General Captain of Team Ghana at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Cpl. Suleimanu Tetteh has advised Ghanaian sports fans to be positive-minded and shows real love to sportsmen and women than discourage them when they are going for major international assignments.

Speaking to this portal in an exclusive interview after the Olympic Games, he expressed that the majority of Ghanaians did not believe in them, but they believed in themselves and knew they will not return home empty-handed as some of them are certainly going to come home with medals.

Suleimanu Tetteh who is also skipper of the Black Bombers noted that the majority of Ghanaians are too negative and it reflects on the way they behave and their achievements.

“I was chosen by the Chef de Mission. Mr Mike Aggrey as the General Captain and Flag Bearer on merit, because I am the most experienced athlete in the team, having been with the national boxing team for 11 years and taken part in many international tournaments including the 2012 London Olympic Games”.

According to Tetteh, he encourages and motivates the younger boxers like Samuel Takyi and Shakul Samed to be dedicated, disciplined and take their training very seriously.

He stressed that sports is sweet when the glory comes, but the preparation and training is not easy.

“We train two or three times a day, and one has to be conditioned always, checking weights and avoiding some luxuries,” he said.

The Ghana Prisons Service Officer thanked his employers for releasing him to perform for the nation.

He recalled that he fought two times at the 2020 Games, unlike in 2012 where he was beaten in the preliminaries, due to inexperience.

Tetteh said his opponents were not pushovers, because everyone who qualifies for Olympic Games is a champion in his of her own right.

He commended Bronze medalist Samuel Tetteh who has brought smiles on the faces of Ghanaians and honour to the nation. He also cautioned him to be focused and keep on training.

He also thanked the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo for his counsel before they departed for the Games and hoped for an attractive bonus package to encourage them to improve upon their accomplishments, as the start preparations for Paris 2024.

He also thanked the leadership of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), the Mayor and people of Inawashiro, Ghana Boxing Federation, the CDM, Yours Truly, the Medical Team, Ashfoam and Twellium Industrial Company Ltd and all who supported Team Ghana, especially the Black Bombers.

Team Ghana will leave Tokyo on Thursday and arrive in Accra on Friday.