Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati tops global 60 meter sprint rankings

Ghana’s track and field sensation, Benjamin Azamati, has emerged as Africa’s fastest sprinter in the 60 meter category, showcasing an outstanding performance at the 2024 New Mexico Team Open held from 26-27 January at the Albuquerque Convention Centre in New Mexico, USA.

World Athletics, the global governing body for athletics, recently unveiled its updated rankings of the world’s fastest sprinters, where Azamati’s remarkable time of 6.57 seconds in Heat 1 of the Open propelled him to the top of the list.

Notably representing Texas A&M, Azamati’s stellar display secured him the second position in the finals, narrowly trailing behind David Foster from the University of California.

Ghana’s presence on the international sprinting stage does not end with Azamati. James Dadzie and Joseph Oduro Manu also made significant strides, both securing spots among the top 10 fastest sprinters in Africa for the 60 meter category.

Dadzie’s impressive run of 6.58 seconds during the Stan Scott Memorial Finals on 13 January in Texas earned him the second spot in Africa and 14th position globally.

Meanwhile, Manu’s time of 6.65 seconds in the 2024 New Mexico Team Open Finals placed him at joint sixth in Africa and 74th globally.

These outstanding performances collectively underline Ghana’s potential in the world of sprinting. 

The nation boasts the highest representation in World Athletics’ top 10 fastest African sprinters in the 60m category, surpassing countries like Ivory Coast, which has two representatives, and others such as Liberia, South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria, and Cameroon, each with one representative.