Isaac Botsio: The story of the Takoradi boy with ‘big boy’ dreams

Ghana is in an era where we are blessed with an abundance of athletes who have huge potential to leave a legacy in the world of track and field.

From Rose Yeboah to Cadman Yamoah to Benjamin Azamati and Joseph Paul Amoah, one can describe this era as the “Golden Era” for Ghana Athletics and a huge opportunity to not only win medals for the country but as a tool for national development.

In the realm of athletics, where speed is king and precision is paramount, one name has been making waves on tracks around the globe: Isaac Botsio.

Born and bred in Ahinkofikrom a suburb of Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, Botsio is on the trajectory of being a formidable force in sprinting.

For Botsio, 24, sports have been injected in his veins and have tried every possible sport possible before finding his feet in track when he was at Ghana Senior High Technical School (Takoradi) popularly referred to as GSTS.

NO SCHOOL, NO CHANCE

For many Ghanaians, the dream of leaving the country for greener pastures appeals to more than just the senses of the individual.

For many, it is more than a means to an end. It is the chance to change the life story of their family and at all costs, they will have to make it. Earn money and ensure that they alleviate their families from the shackles and snares of poverty.

The story was not any different for Isaac Botsio but for him, his motivation was not to necessarily ‘jakpa’ to ensure he gives his family a good life but to him, who has always desired to be a professional sprinter, living, and honing his craft outside Ghana is all he has desired for.

Not to go to school, not to further his education despite being of the most brilliant athletes in GSTS and his grade would pass for any tertiary school in the world. He wanted to leave Ghana but to just run. Just be a better professional and leave his mark on the global stage.

“My dream has always been to travel outside Ghana so I was training with teams and education was never something I fancied. I had the chance to travel to China but because of the COVID pandemic, I could not go but I kept on training very hard. For years, I was just training and I just did not want to go to school again,” he started.

However, faith would have it that I met Elorm Amenakpor during an athletics competition and he scouted me for the University of Ghana but I was still not interested in going to school.

”However, after several deliberations, I agreed to join the school and balance academics and athletics because it was then I realized that without school, I did not stand a chance in making it big time as an athlete,” he said.

THE UG STORY

 “I remember one time I needed to go to class but within the same period, I needed to go train so I went earlier than usual, and then went to class in my training gear with all the sweat,” he said.

That had been the level of dedication to his academics and career while he was still a student at the prestigious University of Ghana, the nation’s premier tertiary school.

For all the years he spent on the campus of the University of Ghana (UG), not for once did the boy from Takoradi look back to see what was happening at home.

To him, the ultimate dream was to become a professional and the sacrifice thereof was to focus without distractions despite the difficulty.

Even though injuries hampered him in participating in a lot of competitions, Isaac Botsio was never in doubt for the people at the University of Ghana Sports Directorate.

For a student on the University of Ghana policy on admission for athletes students (UG-PAAS), there was no room to slack both academically and on the tracks.

In his first major competition for the competition, Botsio overcame major setbacks but was primed to represent the school at the 2022 Federation of Africa University Sports (FASU) Games.

In the individual races, Botsio scooped the bronze medal for UG where he clocked a time of 10.33s which was his personal best.

He was also part of the University of Ghana, Legon 4 x 100m Relay Team that made history by setting a new standard in African sports. The outstanding performance of the quartet (James Dadzie, Solomon Hammond, Isaac Botsio, and Saminu Abdul Rasheed) saw them win the gold medal with a record time of 39.38 seconds, making them one of the fastest relay teams on the continent that year.

So impressive was his time and academic brilliance that earned him a scholarship to West Texas A&M, a school where his mentor and role model, Benjamin Azamati attended and for him, he just wanted to follow in his footsteps to also give himself a better chance at making it as a professional athlete.

BREAKING BARRIERS

Posterity smiled on the now 24-year-old as he smoothly transitioned to West Texas A&M from the University of Ghana.

In his first major competition for the school in the men’s 60m dash, Botsio came tops with a blistering time of 6.69s.

He then bolted made waves at the NCAA DII National men’s 60m dash with a time of 6.62s at Vergenia.

He would go on to rank top in several races in 2023 including ranking first in the men’s 100m final at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, CSU – Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl, Pueblo, CO.

After missing out on the 13^th African Games hosted in Ghana, his motherland, Isaac Botsio showed why it was a mistake for Ghana Athletics to not add his name for the track events.

Isaac Botsio, a second-year student of West Texas University ran a +2.2 wind-aided 9.90 second in the men’s 100-meter race at the 2024 Jo Meaker Classic and Multi meet in Canyon, Texas.

Botsios’ remarkable 9.90-second sprint stands as the fastest in 100-meter time across all NCAA divisions this season. Despite this impressive feat, it falls short of meeting the Olympic Games’ qualification standards, which permit races with a time assisted by up to +2.0.

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Ghana’s 🇬🇭 Isaac Botsio, ran a time of 9.90s (+2.2) in 100m. Despite the time, he hasn’t secured qualification to the Olympic Games, which accepts races with up +2.0 aided time.

His time is tied for the second fastest in history with Benjamin Azamati#CitiSports pic.twitter.com/TOxSerelBt

— Citi Sports (@CitiSportsGHA) April 7, 2024

Nevertheless, Botsios’ time ties him for the second-fastest in Ghana’s sprint history alongside Benjamin Azamati, whose blistering pace of 9.86 seconds holds the top spot.

This puts Botsio in an elite league of sprinters, showcasing his formidable talent on the track.

“I want to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris. I will push myself to ensure I get there. I feel good about myself and I know with God on my side, I will surely get there. I am doing sub ten and it feels good which is positive,” he said.

As Botsio continues to make strides in his athletic career, it is the hope that his journey serves as an inspiration to countless individuals around the world.

With his sights set on even greater heights, there is no doubt that Isaac Botsio is destined for greatness in the world of athletics and beyond.