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RADP / Pulse Ghana  >  Sports  >  Boxing

‘I had malaria and boil under my armpit’ – Joseph Commey on settling for silver medal

Emmanuel Ayamga

Silver medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Joseph Commey has opened up on why he withdrew from fighting for gold despite qualifying for the final.

‘I had malaria and boil under my armpit’ – Joseph Commey on settling for silver medal
‘I had malaria and boil under my armpit’ – Joseph Commey on settling for silver medal

The 19-year-old was one of Ghana’s best shots at winning a gold medal but couldn’t contest in the final of the featherweight division.

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Commey had defeated New Zealand’s Alex Mukaka and India’s Mohamed Hussan Uddin en route to the final, where he was scheduled to face Northern Ireland’s John Gallagher.

However, a few hours before the bout, news emerged that the Ghanaian was ill and had been declared unfit to compete.

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This forced Commey to forfeit the final, therefore, settling for a silver medal while Gallagher walked away with the gold.

Explaining the events of that day, the teenager said he suffered from malaria and also had a boil under his armpit, which meant he couldn’t compete.

“I was going to the finals when I was struck with the illness. I had both malaria and a boil under my armpit,” he said, as quoted by Ghanaweb.

“After the checkup, I was told by the doctor that I couldn’t fight though I insisted on fighting. Anything could have happened if I had fought, so we give glory to God in all things. Maybe next time I might win gold or maybe the Olympics games I might win gold.”

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Meanwhile, Ghana won five medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which ended on Monday, August 8, 2022.

Boxing delivered Ghana’s first three medals at the Games, with Abraham Mensah and Commey winning silver medals, while Abdul Wahid Omar won bronze.

In athletics, Joseph Paul Amoah scooped bronze after impressively finishing third in the final of the 200m event with a time of 20.49s.

This takes the country’s total haul at the Commonwealth Games to 62 medals since the inception of the Games in 1954.

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Emmanuel Ayamga Emmanuel Ayamga Writer with special interest in sports and other stories of social interest. Follow him on Twitter @TheAyamga

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