Benjamin Azamati

Benjamin Azamati-Kwaku (born 14 January 1998) is a Ghanaian sprinter, who currently competes for ASICS Global.

Benjamin Azamati

Azamati-Kwaku at the 2023 African Games
Personal information
Birth name	Benjamin Azamati-Kwaku
Nationality	Ghanaian
Born	(1998-01-14) 14 January 1998 (age 27) Akim Oda
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	60 kg (132 lb)
Sport
Country	Ghana
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	100 m, 200 m
College team	West Texas A&M University
Achievements and titles
Personal best	100 m: 9.90 (2022, NR) 200 m: 20.13 (2021)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Ghana African Games 2019 Rabat 4×100 m relay 2023 Accra 4×100 m relay

He made history by breaking a 22-year national record held by Leo Myles Mills on 26 March 2021 in Texas by clocking 9.97 seconds to qualify him for the Tokyo Summer Olympics.^[1]

Mustafa Ussif, the Sports Minister and Dr Bella Bello Bitugu, the Director of the University of Ghana Sports Directorate, congratulated Benjamin Azamati on the national feat.^[2]

Early life and education

Azamati was born on 14 January 1998 to John and Faustina Azamati in Akim Oda, Ghana.^[3][4]

His preferred sport growing up was football, but transitioned to athletics while attending Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School in Accra where his running talent was discovered by his PE masters (Nathaniel Botchway, Gideon Dukplah and Kofi Dadzie).^[3][4]

Occupation and honors

As a 21-year old he emerged as an Olympic hopeful for Ghana in the sprints after running 100 metres in 10.02 seconds HT at the 2019 Ghana's Fastest Human competition.^[5][6] He won a gold medal in the 4x100m relay at the 2019 African Games in Rabat. He won the GUSA 100m on two occasions.^[4]

In 2021, he improved the 100m national record with 9.97 and improved his 200m personal best to 20.13.

On 25 March 2022, Azamati improved his own 100m national record to an early world lead of 9.90 seconds in Texas, USA, making him the joint 4th fastest collegiate of all-time with Trayvon Bromell.^[7] This mark also placed him within the top 50 all-time 100m sprint performances with only 6 Africans running faster in the continent at the time.^[8]

Personal bests

Outdoor

• 100 metres - 9.90 (+2.0 m/s, Texas 2022)
• 200 metres - 20.13 (+1.1 m/s, Texas 2021)

Indoor

• 60 metres - 6.54 ( Albuquerque 2022)
• 200 metres - 20.57 (Texas 2022)

Achievements

International championships

Representing  Ghana

Year	Competition	Position	Event	Time	Wind (m/s)	Venue	Notes
2019	African Games	1st	4 × 100 m relay	38.30		Rabat, Morocco	[9][10]
	World Championships	13th	4 x 100 m relay	38.24 (SB)		Doha, Qatar	[11]
2021	World Relay Championships	DQ	4 x 100 m relay	—		Chorzów, Poland	[12]
	2020 Summer Olympics	DQ	4 x 100 m relay	—		Tokyo	[13]
2022	Oslo ExxonMobil Bislett Games	4th	100m	10.15		Oslo	[14]
	Paris-St-Denis Meeting Areva	8th	200m	20.77		Paris	[15]
	2022 World Athletics Championships	29th	100m	10.18		Oregon	[16]
		5th	4 x 100m relay	38.07 (NR)			[17]
	Commonwealth Games	4th	100 m	10.16		Birmingham	[3][18][19][20]