Nartey prepares for London 2012

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Ghana judo player Emmanuel Nartey¹s Olympic preparations have been boosted


by winning a medal in his final competition ahead of London 2012.


The Team Bath athlete, who also serves in the British Army, makes a piece of


history when he becomes the first Ghanaian judo player to compete at an


Olympic Games.





He warmed up for the biggest competition of his life by winning bronze at


the European Cup in Istanbul at the weekend.

Emmanuel, who is finalising his London 2012 preparations at the University


of Bath before moving to the Olympic Village on Monday (23 July), beat


Russia¹s Artur Khakhuk in the battle for the bronze medal in the men¹s


under-73kg class.





³It was my final preparation, and also a baseline to test my fitness and the


training I¹ve been doing for the last three or four months, so I was pleased


to win a medal,² he said.


³With this result I feel confident and ready for the London 2012 Olympic


Games.²

Emmanuel said he will be proud to be the first judo player to represent


Ghana at an Olympics and he hopes his performances will prove an inspiration


to other young athletes in Ghana and Africa.





³It will be a proud moment and a big achievement for me to compete at the


Olympics," he said. "It¹s not just about me, it¹s about opening doors for


future generations coming through.²





Juergen Klinger, head judo coach at the University of Bath, will also be


coaching Emmanuel at the Games.

Emmanuel is permanently based at Team Bath and is currently training


alongside two other athletes who are attending preparation camps at the


Sports Training Village ahead of the Games - Kyle Maxwell will represent


Barbados and Sled Dowabobo will compete for Nauru.





All three athletes will compete in the under-73kg class competition on


Monday 30 July.





For further information please contact the Team Bath press office at

Matchtight Ltd on 01225 383518 or by email at press@matchtight.co.uk





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