Ghana clinches spot at World Athletics Championships
Ghana’s men’s 4x100m relay team have stormed into this year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after clocking a blistering season-best of 38.32 seconds at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China — sealing their place on the global stage with style and steely resolve.
On a dramatic Day Two of competition, the dynamic quartet of Barnabas Aggerh, Joseph Paul Amoah, Mustapha Alufar Bokpin, and Ibrahim Fuseini – running in that order – powered across the finish line in second place, just one-hundredth of a second behind France (38.31s) in their heat yesterday.
The result secured their spot at the Tokyo championships this September, and sparked wild celebrations from the Ghanaian camp.
It marked a remarkable turnaround after Ghana had missed out on automatic qualification last Saturday. In their first outing, the team — then comprising Fuseini, Aggerh, veteran Sean Safo-Antwi, and Bokpin — finished third behind Great Britain & Northern Ireland and Poland in 38.49 seconds.
That performance was not enough to book a place in the World Relays final, which saw South Africa pull off a stunning upset to beat the USA and Canada to gold.
However, their preliminary time granted Ghana a second shot at redemption, and they grabbed it with both hands.
Head coach and officials made a bold change, bringing in national 200m record-holder Joseph Paul Amoah to replace Sarfo Antwi. The move paid off handsomely, as the team produced a thrilling run to silence the doubters.
Despite another nervy baton exchange, a recurring headache for Ghanaian relay teams over the years, it was Ibrahim Fuseini’s lightning-fast anchor leg that proved decisive, surging past rivals and sealing a dramatic qualification.
Remarkable feat
The Ghana Olympic Committee was quick to hail the team’s feat, calling it a “remarkable achievement” and a beacon of hope for the country’s sporting future.
In a statement, the GOC President, Richard Akpokavie, acknowledged the hard work, discipline, and dedication of the 4x100m relay team, saying their performance was a testament to the immense talent that Ghana possessed.
“It is our hope that this is just the beginning of many more accomplishments that will put Ghana in the medal zone of global competitions,” he added.
While the team basks in the glory of a historic qualification, there remains work to be done. Baton mishaps have plagued Ghana’s relay efforts at several major championships — from the Olympics to the African Games — and technical precision will be crucial if this group is to convert promise into podium finishes in Tokyo.
