Cameroonian Sprint Star Credits Letsile Tebogo and Akani Simbine for New Belief: 'Africa Has Potential'

Inspired by the success of fellow African athletes like Akani Simbine and Letsile Tebogo, Cameroonian sprinter Emmanuel Eseme believes the continent is on the verge of dominating the world of sprinting.

Emmanuel Eseme has been a consistent force in men's sprinting since his arrival on the international stage. The 33-year-old has witnessed firsthand the rise of athletes like South Africa's Simbine and Botswana's Olympic champion Tebogo, who he says have reshaped global perceptions of African sprinters.

Their achievements have fueled his conviction that the continent's athletes have what it takes to lead the sport.

"If others can do it, we from Africa can too," he told Olympics.com.

"Back in the day, we didn't believe in ourselves, probably because of the limitations we had," Eseme explained. "But we have people like Akani Simbine, who are out there proving that Africa has potential. We have Olympic champions like Letsile Tebogo. These people inspire us to know that if others can do it, we from Africa can too."

Eseme, who balances his elite athletics career with his work as an environmental engineer, shared these thoughts after a commanding victory in the men's 100m at the Gyulai István Memorial in Budapest.

He clocked 9.99 seconds to lead an African one-two finish, further underscoring the continent's growing sprint prowess.

"Despite the fact that we may have some limitations, we just have to believe in ourselves and put in the right work," he added. "I believe Africa is going to take over."

Eseme's journey to the elite level has been anything but typical. He spent his youth as a football goalkeeper and only made the switch to athletics at the relatively late age of 24. The decision proved to be a masterstroke.

Today, he is a four-time national champion and holds Cameroon's records in the 60m, 100m, and 200m. His impressive resume includes a 100m title at the 2026 African Championships and a gold medal from the 2024 African Games.

His recent continental championship win kicked off the best outdoor season of his career, marking the first time the Yaoundé native has recorded three sub-10-second 100m times in a single season. "It's the first time I'm doing this in my whole life," he said. "I just feel great. I just feel grateful and thankful to God."

Eseme has represented Cameroon at three World Athletics Championships and two Olympic Games. He hopes his late start and subsequent success will motivate a new generation of Cameroonians to pursue athletics from a younger age.

Cameroon has not celebrated an Olympic or World Championships gold medal in athletics since triple jumper Françoise Mbango Etone's triumphs at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics. Eseme is determined to end that drought.

"If you don't dream big, you never go anywhere," he stated. With the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on the horizon, the sprinter has another major opportunity to write his name into the history books.

Cameroonian sprinter Emmanuel Eseme is poised to end his nation's two-decade wait for a track and field medal at the Commonwealth Games, arriving in Glasgow as a serious contender.

The last time Cameroon secured a place on the track podium was in 2006, when Delphine Atangana won bronze in the women's 100m in Melbourne.

Eseme, who reached the finals of both the 100m and 200m at the Birmingham Games four years ago, is in strong form and looks capable of challenging for a medal this time around.

"The Commonwealth Games is one of the competitions with the best athletes in the world," Eseme stated. "If you're able to win a title at the Commonwealth Games, it's almost equal to a World Championship." He added, "Everyone wants to do well at the Commonwealth Games."