Ghanaian sprinters Benjamin Azamati and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu have advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s 100 metres at the2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, after impressive performances in the heats on Monday.

Saminu was the first Ghanaian to take to the track, winning Heat 2 with a time of 10.01 seconds to secure automatic qualification to the next round.

Azamati followed with another dominant display in Heat 5, clocking 10.00 seconds to equal his season’s best and also finish first in his heat.

Azamati’s time was the fastest recorded among the 75 athletes who competed in the heats, narrowly ahead of Saminu, who posted the second-fastest time with 10.01 seconds.

The performances have raised expectations that Ghana could challenge for a podium finish in the event, with both sprinters entering the semi-finals among the leading contenders.

The two athletes will compete in separate semi-final heats on Tuesday evening, facing a strong field that includes Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme, winner of the 100m at the 2026 African Athletics Championships in Accra, and Kenya’s decorated sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala.

The final and medal ceremony will follow shortly after the semi-finals, as Azamati and Saminu seek to deliver Ghana’s first Commonwealth Games medal in the men’s 100m.

Ghana’s third male sprinter, Isaac Botsio, however, missed out on qualification after suffering a poor start in Heat 9.

Botsio recovered to finish fourth in a time of 10.40 seconds, but his performance was not enough to secure a place in the semi-finals.

In the women’s 100m, 23-year-old Deborah Acheampong also exited the competition after finishing third in her heat despite recording an impressive 11.66 seconds.

Botsio and Acheampong will have another opportunity to compete for honours later in the Games when they join Ghana’s men’s and women’s 4x100m relay teams.

Meanwhile, in swimming and para swimming, national record holder Nubia Adjei and Ghana’s sole para swimmer Promise Aheto recorded notable performances but failed to progress.

Adjei finished fourth in her women’s 50m backstroke heat with a time of 30.91 seconds, while Aheto clocked 1:41.59 in the men’s 100m breaststroke (SB9).

Aheto qualified as a reserve for the final but ultimately did not make the final field in his Commonwealth Games debut.

Ghana’s athletics and para athletics campaigns continue on Tuesday, with West Texas A&M athlete Abigail Abugire competing in the women’s 800m heats and experienced thrower Zinabu Issah contesting the women’s F57 shot put final, where she aims to secure Ghana’s first para athletics medal of the Games.