Ghana’s 100-meter dash record holder, Benjamin Azamati, has acknowledged the high expectations for him to win a gold medal at upcoming competitions.
The 26-year-old sprinter is excited to be competing in Ghana again, for the first time since representing the University of Ghana in athletics in 2020.
Since then, he has evolved, graduating from West Texas A&M and now becoming a full-time athlete.
He made history by breaking a 22-year national record held by Leo Myles Mills on 26 March 2021 in Texas by clocking 9.97 seconds to qualify him for the Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Sprinter Benjamin Azamati set a new national 100m record finishing in a time of 9.90s at the Texas Relays, flying past the record time of 9.97s he set at the same event in 2021, which had broken the old 22-year-old record of 9.98s.
Speaking to Citi Sports, he says he expects nothing but the topmost laurel in the competition.
“It is understandable that people expect me to do well and win gold and I want to do that for myself. I am expecting gold for myself and not silver or bronze. I want to use the pressure to go out there and give my best for the country,” he said.
The athletics competition at the 13th African Games will start on March 18, 2024, at the University of Ghana Stadium.