African Games 2023: Benjamin Azamati leads Ghana’s track and field team

-

Ghana’s 100m record holder, Benjamin Azamati leads the list of star-studded athletes announced by Ghana Athletics for this month’s African Games.

Azamati, who missed out last year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest due to injury has fully recovered, will be the only athlete competing in the 100m, but will be joined by current and former 200m national record holder, Joseph Paul Amoah for the relays.

The duo were part of Ghana’s 4x100m relay men’s team that won gold in the last African Games in Rabat five years ago, and set a new national record of 38.07s in Oregon World Championships in 2022.

Their experience is expected to be a catalyst as the West African nation seeks to defend the medal.

Current 200m record holder, James Dadzie, Edwin Gadayi, Solomon Hammond, Sarfo Ansah and Ibrahim Fuseini completes the list of athletes assembled for the 100 and 200m events.

Raymond French, Solomon Diafo, Joshua Bour, and Frank Addo will be competing in the 400 and 4×400m events, with Alex Amankwah racing in the 800 and 400, while Dompey Barnabas goes in for the 400m hurdles.

Notable absentee, however, is promising Isaac Botsio.

Hor Harlutie, Mary Boakye, Benedicta Kwartemaa, will race in the 100 and 4×100m relays, and they will be joined by Janet Mensah and Deborah Acheampong, while Grace Obour (400 and 4×400), Grace Aduntira (400 and 4×400), Latifa Ali (200, 4×400 and 4×100), will be joined Bridget Annan and Sandrah Appiah for the women’s events.

For the field events, Rose Yeboah would not he available to defend high jump gold medal won on Rabat in 2019, but Esther Obenewaa will be hoping to fly high Ghana’s flag in the event.

Abraham Seaneke (long jump), Ebenezer Gyimah (high jump), Evans Yamoah (high jump), and Bugase Rexford (discus) are the men for the field events.

Ghana will not have a representative for the women’s long jump as Deborah Acquah will be participating.