Black Loopers captain promises Commonwealth Games medal

Unsung table tennis hero and captain of the Black Loopers, Ghana’s table tennis team, Bernard Joe Sam, has promised to win a medal at this year’s Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast in Australia after making the cut for the team.

The 2015 All Africa Games bronze medalist confidently told the Graphic Sports that he was in tip-top form of his life and would cause an upset among the top players of the game at the Games.

“I’m happy that I have earned a place in the team to the Commonwealth Games. I’m fully prepared for the competition, as you can see, I’m in the form of my life, I definitely poised to bring a medal home,” Joe Sam told the Graphic Sports at the Accra Sports Stadium last Saturday, moments after topping the league table which secured him a place on Ghana’s contingent to the Game.

The ace player emerged the winner of the male league table of the ping-pong trials towards qualification to the Commonwealth Games with 28 points, followed by Felix Lartey (27 points) and Emmanuel Asante (26 points).

Despite a brief absence from the sport and receiving a wild card from the technical team of the Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), Joe Sam from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), shoved all top three seeds —Lartey, Asante and Emmanuel Commey, to qualify for the Games. The top three seeds have also qualified for the Games in Gold Coast, Australia and will be joined by the top two seeds in the women’s division.

Joe Sam stated that ahead of camping he would embark on a personal training regimen with training partner Samuel Akayade whom he was grateful for helping his career.