CWG: Cameroon’s Eseme Hopes to Inspire Change On and Off the Track After Historic Commonwealth Gold

Newly crowned Commonwealth Games men’s 100m champion Emmanuel Eseme says he hopes his historic victory in Glasgow will help change global perceptions of African sprinting while inspiring young athletes across the continent.

The Cameroonian sprinter claimed gold on Tuesday at the rain-soaked EDF Scotstoun Stadium, setting both a Commonwealth Games and national record of 9.83 seconds to secure his country’s first medal of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The final featured five African athletes, highlighting the continent’s growing influence in world sprinting.

Reflecting on his achievement, Eseme said African nations are now proving they can compete with the world’s best in short-distance events.

“In the past, a lot of people didn’t really believe in African sprinting. The discipline that really prevailed in Africa was the long-distance races,” he said.

He credited South Africa’s Akani Simbine, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala and Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo for inspiring a new generation of African sprinters.

Eseme’s path to athletics was unconventional. He was studying environmental engineering and playing football at university when coaches discovered his sprinting ability.

Nine years later, the 32-year-old has become a Commonwealth champion and two-time Olympian.

Despite his latest success, Eseme believes there is still much more to achieve.

“I have way more ambition and I know I can do better. I believe I have a long way to go and a lot more to give,” he said.

The Cameroonian is also preparing for the men’s 200m event, where he hopes to complete a sprint double.

Beyond athletics, Eseme remains committed to empowering young people through the Eseme Alobwede Foundation, which promotes sports development among children in Cameroon.

He said the Commonwealth gold medal validates the work his foundation has been doing to encourage young people to embrace sports.

Eseme is equally passionate about environmental protection, using his background in environmental engineering to advocate proper waste management and sustainable living.

He said he deliberately carries a reusable water bottle to competitions to reduce plastic waste and hopes to encourage others to protect the environment.

For Eseme, success on the track is only one part of his mission, with his greatest ambition being to inspire positive change both in sport and within his community.