By Ghana News
Copyright ghanamma
Ghana’s men’s 4x100m relay team made history at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, setting a new national record of 37.79 seconds to win Heat 2 and advance to Sunday’s final with the fastest qualifying time.
The quartet delivered a commanding performance that broke their previous national record of 38.07 seconds, established in 2022, while securing Ghana’s place among the world’s elite sprint relay teams.
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu anchored Ghana to victory in Heat 2, leading the team home in the national record time to book their place in Sunday’s gold medal race. The team’s performance represents a significant breakthrough for Ghanaian sprinting on the global stage.
Ghana qualified with the fastest time ahead of all other finalists, establishing them as serious medal contenders for Sunday’s showpiece event. The national record performance exceeded expectations and demonstrated the team’s potential against world-class competition.
Team preparation included intensive training camps in Texas, with the squad led by Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, who ran 9.84 seconds in the 100m earlier this year to become Ghana’s fastest sprinter in history. The comprehensive preparation proved decisive in achieving the record-breaking performance.
The relay team benefited from Ghana’s strongest sprint depth in recent years. Benjamin Azamati and Joseph Paul Amoah headline the eight-member Ghanaian contingent, with both athletes making their seventh consecutive World Championships appearance.
Ghana’s qualifying time of 37.79 seconds positioned them ahead of traditional sprint powerhouses including Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States in the qualifying standings. The performance signals Ghana’s emergence as a legitimate force in international relay competition.
The achievement comes while Nigeria failed to qualify for the Tokyo 2025 World Championships, highlighting Ghana’s regional dominance in West African sprinting. This represents a significant shift in the continental sprint hierarchy.
The team’s success builds on previous achievements including gold at the 2024 African Championships in Douala, Cameroon. Ibrahim Fuseini was a member of that championship-winning 4x100m relay team, providing valuable experience for the current campaign.
Ghana’s sprint program has undergone systematic development over recent years, with investments in training facilities, coaching expertise, and athlete preparation contributing to improved performances. The national record represents the culmination of these strategic initiatives.
The World Athletics Championships final on Sunday will feature eight of the world’s fastest relay teams, with Ghana now positioned as genuine medal contenders. Their qualifying performance suggests the potential for further record improvements in optimal racing conditions.
Ghana’s relay success reflects broader improvements in the country’s athletics program, with systematic approaches to talent identification, development, and international competition preparation yielding measurable results at the highest level.
The achievement provides significant momentum for Ghanaian athletics heading into future major competitions, including the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The current team’s success establishes a foundation for sustained excellence in relay competition.
Sunday’s final will test Ghana’s ability to maintain their record-breaking form against the world’s best relay teams. The fastest qualifying time provides psychological advantages while creating expectations for medal contention.
The national record performance demonstrates Ghana’s capacity to compete with established sprint nations and represents a breakthrough moment for West African athletics on the global stage.
Ghana’s relay team faces Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Australia, and France in Sunday’s final, with the competition scheduled for 19:50 local time at the Tokyo National Stadium.
