Eseme Eyes African Sprint Revolution Beyond Accra Glory
Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme believes Africa is on the verge of becoming a dominant force in global sprinting as a new generation of athletes continues to close the gap on the world’s traditional powerhouses in the 100 metres.
The African sprint star shared that conviction after qualifying for the semi-finals of the men’s 100m event at the 24th CAA African Senior Athletics Championship in Accra on Tuesday.
Eseme finished first in his heat at the University of Ghana Stadium, comfortably progressing to the next stage while underlining his status as one of the continent’s leading sprinters.
But while many arrived expecting discussions around medals and personal ambitions, the Cameroonian instead shifted attention toward the broader future of African sprinting and the untapped talent across the continent.
“I think Africa is getting there. I think Africa is conquering the world,” Eseme told reporters after the race.
The experienced sprinter pointed to recent performances by African athletes on the global stage as proof that the continent is beginning to challenge long-standing barriers in sprint events traditionally dominated by athletes from the United States and the Caribbean.
“In 2023, we had Letsile Tebogo winning silver in the 100 metres at the Olympics. It’s something that we have never seen before, but the new generation is taking it to a different level,” he said. “I think Africa is growing, and if we just keep going at this pace, we’re going to be unstoppable.”
Eseme also revealed that his ambitions extend far beyond his own career, with the sprinter determined to help nurture future African champions through youth development initiatives.
The Cameroonian is also focused on identifying and training talented young athletes across Africa from an early age.
“My goal is to be able to identify the young kids from their early ages,” he explained. “I know those of us from Central Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, we have a lot of talent from our genes.”
“I believe that if I am able to detect and train these athletes from the basics, from when they are still kids, in the next five years or 10 years, we’re going to have Olympic champions.”
Eseme’s comments come at a time when African sprinting continues to gain global recognition, with several athletes now regularly competing in Diamond League finals and major international championships.
The Cameroonian himself has become one of the continent’s most consistent performers in recent years. After competing at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha and the African Games, he represented Cameroon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games before further raising his profile on the international circuit.
He secured a podium finish at the 2023 Diamond League meeting in Silesia, Poland, where he placed third in the men’s 100m event, and later competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Despite his growing international reputation, Eseme insists he is still developing technically and physically.
“Right now I think we’re still building speed because the outdoor season just began,” he said. “So now I can say we are 50 per cent because the goal is to get to the ultimate championships at the peak.”
The sprinter added that his coaching team has spent significant time refining his acceleration and block starts, areas he previously considered weaknesses.
“Together with my coach, we’ve worked a lot on my acceleration and my block starts, which have always been a setback for me,” Eseme explained.
Though his long-term vision centres on elevating African sprinting, Eseme admits there is still personal motivation driving him in Accra.
The African Championships title remains one of the few major honours missing from his career, having narrowly missed out in previous editions.
“I’m just here to be able to get that title, not just for me but for Cameroon, for Africa,” he said.