Ghanaian sprinter, Sean Safo-Antwi, has promised to work on his start when he runs in the men’s 100 metres semi-final on Wednesday for a place in the final.
The UK-based athlete admitted that he would have to make improvements to his technique if he is to make it to the final.
On Tuesday, he qualified for the semi-finals after finishing in fourth position in his heats in a time of 10.33 seconds behind Jerod Elcock of Trinidad and Tobago (10.26 sec) and second-placed Emanuel Archibald of Guyana (10.28 sec).
Safo-Antwi explained that he was looking at improving on his start today in a bid to improve upon his time and make it to the final.
“I didn’t start well and that really affected my performance in the end.
“What matters most now is the qualification and then I have to work on my start in the semi-finals to improve my time,” he told Graphic Online.
Ghana will have two athletes in the semi-finals after Benjamin Azamati won his heats without breaking sweat despite a poor start
Rated second in the Commonwealth in the 100 metres, Azamati won heat 7 with a time of 10.19 seconds ahead of Welshman Jeremiah Azu (10.35 seconds) and Imranur Rahman (10.46 sec) of Bangladesh who failed to advance.
The duo of Azamati and Safo-Antwi will team up in Ghana’s quest to win a medal in the 4x100m relay on Saturday.
Lartey exits
In boxing, Ghana’s Jessie Lartey bowed out of the competition after losing 0-5 to England’s Mohammed Harris Akbar at the NEC Hall.
Lartey, who won a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games im Gold Coast, Australia, was highly tipped to win a medal but yesterday he was outclassed by the home favourite, a defeat the Ghanaian blamed on fighting in a bigger weight class.
Jessie Lartey Lartey of Ghana exchanging punches with Mohammed Harris Akbar of England in their light-middleweight bout
The 28-year-old said a plea by Ghana to have the Commonwealth Games Federation allow him to fight in a more favourable weight class was rejected.
“I wasn’t happy about fighting at light-middleweight because it is too big for me and we complained about it,” Lartey told the Graphic Online.
“All our efforts to have me fight in a more favourable division were rejected, and I think that played a role in my defeat.”
There was no joy for Ghana in the swimming pool as Zaira Forson came last in the Women’s 200m Butterfly heats, while teammate Nubia Adjei finished in seventh position in the Women’s 50m Backstroke.
It was double agony for Ghana as Abeiku Jackson finished last in the Men’s 50m Freestyle and failed to progress in the competition.
Misery for hockey
In hockey, the national women’s team suffered their fourth consecutive loss after they were thrashed 8-1 by Canada in a Pool B match at the University of Birmingham Hockey Centre on Tuesday.
Karli Johansen of Canada battles for the ball with Racheal Bamfo of Ghana during the women’s hockey Pool A match
The Ghanaian ladies had previously lost 0-5 to India, 0-12 to England and 0-4 to Wales.
On Wednesday morning the male team will attempt to redeem themselves as they take on Wales in a Pool B match.
Led by Elikem Akaba, the Ghanaians were given a baptism of fire after losing 0-11 to India in the opening game last Sunday but lifted their game and held Canada to a 1-1 draw as they conceded a late equaliser barely a minute to end the game last Monday.
SOURCE: Graphiconline
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