Ghana’s 100-meter record holder, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, has shared his excitement after shattering the nation’s 100m record.
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu set a new Ghana national record in the men’s 100m, clocking an impressive 9.86 seconds to win at the NCAA East Preliminary Round on Friday.
Before that feat, the record was held by Benjamin Azamati with a time of 9.90 seconds in 2022.
Saminu’s new time was a micro second shy of a previous 9.87seconds (wind assisted) that qualified him for this year’s World Athletics Championship to be held in the city of Tokyo in Japan in September.
In an exclusive interview with 3Sports Bill Eshun, the current record said: “I feel great. I’m happy about that. It’s been a long season. I was really ready because me and Azamati talked about it. I said I need to break your [Azamati’s] record this year. He was like, go for it. If you really want it, go for it. So I was like, okay, I’m ready.”
Saminu’s conversation with Benjamin Azamati, the previous record holder, played a significant role in his preparation for the record-breaking run.
“The body was just ready after my warm-up. I was like, yeah, today is today. I crossed the line with 9.86. I was like, what? This is crazy. Yeah. It was amazing. I have great feelings and I’m really grateful to my coaches that put the work on me.”
Saminu’s achievement has not gone unnoticed, with the President of Ghana Athletics and the Minister of Sports reaching out to congratulate him on his remarkable feat.
“After I ran the president of Ghana Athletics, reached out to me, even the Minister of Sports, reached out to me and congratulate me. And I was like, this is big. I’m grateful. They’re happy and I’m happy too.”
With his newfound success, Saminu is poised to make a significant impact on the global athletics stage.
His record-breaking performance is a testament to his hard work and dedication, and Ghanaian athletics fans eagerly await his next move.
