2023 African Games: Ghana's William Amponsah wins silver medal in men's half marathon

Ghanaian long-distance sensation, William Amponsah, clinched a commendable silver medal in the fiercely contested men’s half-marathon event at the ongoing 13th African Games hosted at the University of Ghana.

Amponsah showcased his prowess by crossing the finish line with an impressive time of 1:05:13, narrowly trailing behind Eritrean competitor, Samson Amare, who clinched gold with a time of 1:05:04. Zimbabwe's Mpofu Isaac secured third place, clocking in at 1:05:37.

From the onset, Amponsah demonstrated strategic pacing, maintaining a steady rhythm as the runners navigated the designated course for the half-marathon.

Keeping himself in contention throughout the race, Amponsah eventually found himself neck and neck with Amare of Eritrea, ultimately securing the second position, with Mpofu Isaac from Zimbabwe trailing behind.

Amponsah was not alone in representing Ghana in the half-marathon event, as he was accompanied by Koogo Atia, the 2022 Ghana Armed Forces Cross Country champion, who finished 15th with a time of 1:12:14.

In addition to his half-marathon achievement, Amponsah also made waves earlier in the athletics competition by shattering the national record in the men’s 10,000m race, clocking an impressive time of 29:50.99, surpassing his own record set in January 2020.

As the athletics competition at the African Games heads towards its climax, several Ghanaian athletes are poised for action.

Hamidu Asana kicks off the evening session with aspirations of securing a medal in the women’s 400m hurdles.

Janet Mensah, Ibrahim Fuseini, and Joseph Paul Amoah are set to compete in the women’s and men’s 200m finals, while Abraham Seaneke aims for a podium finish in the men’s long jump event.