Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme is savouring his men’s 100-metre triumph at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, insisting that he believes he can defeat any rival on the track.
A record-breaking victory in Glasgow
The 32-year-old sprinter not only secured Commonwealth Games gold but also broke the championship record and established a new Cameroonian national mark. Eseme said a champion’s mindset had played a central role in his rise to the top of African sprinting.
“I never line up believing that somebody else will win,” Eseme said. “I enter every event with the mentality of a winner, and that approach has helped me perform on the biggest stages.”
Although he often arrives at meetings without the quickest qualifying mark, the reigning African champion believes self-confidence and precise race execution have allowed him to compete consistently with the world’s leading sprinters.
- Eseme said he is rarely the fastest athlete on paper at the meetings he enters.
- He believes any opponent aiming to beat him must produce an exceptionally fast performance.
- At Diamond League events, where he is also often outside the top spot in the rankings, he regularly places among the leading three or four through belief and disciplined execution.
Ambitions beyond continental honours
The Glasgow victory has added a Commonwealth title to Eseme’s African championship and African Games crowns, but he says his goals extend well beyond success within the continent.
His wider mission is to demonstrate that African athletes can repeatedly challenge the established sprinting powers of the world, while also motivating young competitors in Cameroon.
“I aim very high,” he said. “I want people in Cameroon, and Africans everywhere, to understand that we can accomplish remarkable things.”
Inspiring Cameroon’s next generation
Eseme said his foundation is helping young athletes set ambitious targets and trust that they can compete against the best in the sport.
“I tell them that if athletes from the United States, Jamaica and Nigeria can reach the highest level, then we can do it too,” he said.
He also believes his performances are already strengthening athletics in Cameroon, where more young people are becoming interested in the sport after seeing what is possible.
“I feel that I’m opening doors for those who come after me. More people in Cameroon are choosing athletics because they have recognised our potential,” Eseme said.
For the Commonwealth champion, Glasgow represents another important step rather than the end of his journey — one shaped by high ambition, unwavering belief and a determination to inspire a new wave of African sprinters.
