Sprint Sensation Abdul Rasheed Saminu Finishes 2nd, Beats Akani Simbine in 100m Race
- Abdul Rasheed Saminu maintained his fine form in the 2025 season with a podium finish at the Gyulai István Memorial
- The race marked his debut on the European circuit, following his standout display at the NCAA Championships in the United States
- Fans flooded social media with congratulatory messages for the 27-year-old, who outpaced some of the event’s biggest names
Ghana’s sprint sensation Abdul Rasheed Saminu once again proved he is a force to be reckoned with after claiming a podium spot in the men’s 100-metre dash at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix 2025.
The 27-year-old crossed the line in 10.01 seconds, finishing just behind Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, who took the win in 9.95 seconds.
Source: Getty Images
Abdul Rasheed excels at Gyulai Istvan Memorial
Saminu arrived in Hungary carrying serious momentum. With a personal best and national record of 9.84 seconds, one of the fastest times in the world this year, expectations were high.
In Budapest, the stakes were even greater. Lining up against Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, South Africa’s Akani Simbine, and the in-form Thompson, the Ghanaian knew this was no easy test.
Drawn in lane six, Saminu didn’t get the sharpest start. The Al Azhariya Islamic Senior High School product found himself chasing the pack early on, but that only lit his fire.
Source: Getty Images
With every stride, he reeled in his rivals, closing the gap in spectacular fashion.
The final metres were an all-out battle, but Thompson held his lead to take gold. Saminu’s powerful surge was enough to secure second place in 10.01 seconds, edging Simbine by a whisker, per Track Gazette.
This was Saminu’s first-ever race on the European circuit, coming just weeks after wrapping up his NCAA season in June.
The event featured a stacked field: Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake placed fourth in 10.04 seconds, Ronnie Baker of the USA finished fifth in 10.05 seconds, and Omanyala came in seventh with 10.26 seconds.
Read also
Joan Gamper Trophy: Marcus Rashford’s open net miss against Como sparks reactions from fans
Watch the video:
Fans erupt with praise for Abdul Rasheed Saminu
Ghanaians lit up social media after the race, showering their sprint king with admiration.
@PKumasewu extolled:
"Charlie, you Dey run ooo."
@_Kojo_Abrantie cheered with Saminu's favourite tagline:
"The village is always aware 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥"
@jokers_dad expressed his confidence in Abdul Rasheed:
"Megye wo Di ruff 🥷"
@Lovephills_ applauded:
"You're too good 🔥"
@kofi_tekpor summed up:
"More power to you."
The 2025 season has been nothing short of spectacular for Saminu.
He has shattered Ghana’s national record twice, first running 9.86 seconds in May, then lowering it to 9.84 seconds in July.
Those performances have placed him seventh in the global rankings.
With his confidence soaring, Saminu now turns his focus to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September, per the Olympics.
After reaching the semi-finals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Ghanaian sprinter is determined to go further this time and perhaps bring home a medal.
Saminu achieves academic success in the US
YEN.com.gh earlier highlighted Abdul-Rasheed Saminu’s academic achievement in the United States.
The Ghanaian sprinter earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Florida.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
