Ghana's athletes eye podium glory at World Athletics Championship
Anticipation is building as the fastest and strongest athletes from across the globe gather to compete for honours, a slice of sporting history, and personal glory in the vibrant Hungarian capital of Budapest during this year's World Athletics Championship, which begins today.
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Amidst this fierce competition, Ghanaian athletes are gearing up to etch their names into the annals of sports history, vying for coveted medals and a share of the spotlight.
While Ghana might not be a heavyweight in the realm of track and field, the nation is relying on the individual prowess and collective teamwork of its exceptional sprinters to stake a claim in the men's sprints relay, and potentially secure a rare spot on the podium.
Past record
Ghana's journey towards the podium has been a long one, with the last notable achievement dating back to the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, when Margaret Simpson and Ignisious Gaisah secured medals in heptathlon and long jump, respectively. However, the upcoming championship in Budapest presents a fresh opportunity for the emerging star, James Dadzie, and the men's 4x100 metres relay team to end Ghana's medal drought on the grandest global stage.
Dadzie, who initially showcased promise while running for the University of Ghana, has steadily climbed the ranks in the last six months since moving to the United States of America (USA) early in the year. The absence of the renowned Benjamin Azamati has paved the way for the 21-year-old sprinter to emerge as a standout performer as his sensational season for Western Texas College culminated in a new national 200 metres record of 19.79 seconds last April.
Dadzie’s finest moment
Budapest looms as Dadzie's grandest stage beyond his exploits in the US collegiate system. Here, he is pitted against formidable contenders, including American powerhouses Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton, as well as Botswana's sensation Letsile Tebogo and Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike of Nigeria. Despite holding the sixth-best time of the season, the Ghanaian is not a medal favourite in the 200m event, a dynamic that might just work to his advantage, allowing him to shine without the weight of excessive expectations.
Another noteworthy athlete, Joseph Paul Amoah, a bronze medallist in the men's 200m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, is also ready to light up the track. With a season's best of 20.42 seconds, achieved at the Miramar Invitational in Florida, that has fuelled his drive to excel in his favourite race on the international stage again.
Ghana's hopes extend beyond individual triumphs to the men's 4x100m relay, arguably the nation's most promising medal prospect. The quartet of Sean Safo-Antwi, Azamati, Joseph, Oduro Manu and Amoah finished fifth at the 2022 World Championship in Oregon with a new national record of 38.07 seconds. This time around, Ghana showcases a revamped ensemble of sprinters, as Azamati's injury-induced absence reshapes the team's lineup with Safo-Antwi and Manu, not in the current roster.
Amoah’s experience is bound to shape Ghana's performance in the 4x100m relay. Anchoring a squad that might feature the likes of Edwin Gadayi, Raymond French, Isaac Botsio and Sarfo Ansah, Amoah's presence is an asset derived from his gold medal-winning feat at the 2019 African Games in Rabat and his qualification for the 2022 Commonwealth Games' final, notwithstanding their eventual disqualification due to technicalities.
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Coach confident
Coach Elorm Amenakpor exudes confidence in the team's ability to compete for honours, not merely as participants. Amidst rigorous training and preparation, the focus lies on refining baton-changing techniques and fostering unity among the athletes who earned their places on merit and are primed to take on the world's elite from August 19-27.
Recent training supervised by Amenakpor at the CREPS de Reims camp in Paris, France, provided Ghana's track and field contingent, which included long jumper Deborah Acquah, up-and-coming stars Aziz Mohammed (1,500m), Solomon Diafo (400m), and Florence Agyemang (400m) valuable practice. The coach focused particularly on the art of baton-changing for the relay team to ensure seamless transitions, prevent costly errors and enhance team cohesion --- critical elements which can make or break a quartet in the relay races.
“That's what we are working on right now, to try to change the baton in difficult situations, to get used to the team, to build team cohesion, team spirit and everything that will give us an advantage to compete against the world at the World Championship,” Amenakpor told the Daily Graphic.
This afternoon, the spotlight shifts to 27-year-old Acquah in the women’s long jump where she competes with 17 other athletes in Group B for a place in the final. The experienced athlete is poised to prove her mettle as memories of the 2022 World Championship, where she narrowly missed the finals with a 6.46m leap, will drive her determination to succeed this time.
Battling through injuries this season, the bronze medallist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games is now fully rejuvenated. And with a season's best of 6.62m, the qualifying mark of 6.80m or a place among the top 12 performers will be target for securing a spot in the final.