Sprinter Ishmail Dudu Kamara said his target in the Rio Olympics Games is to make a new personal best on Saturday 13th August in the men’s 100m preliminaries at the Olympic Stadium.
As he prepares to make his Olympic debut, the 19-year old who hopes to spring surprises in the Games, insisted that he will be focusing on improving his personal best of 10.77 which he set in the 2015 All African Games in Congo Brazzaville.
Seven men in the preliminary line-up have run under 27 minutes, spearheaded by Olympic and world champions.
Kamara was born in Makeni city, Northern Sierra Leone and grew up as a footballer playing for a team called Leone FC not knowing his talent lies on the track.
In 2013 he was spotted in the pitch by the northern region head coach Alpha Kamara (papaya) who told him that he will be a very good sprinter if he tries athletics.
“It was hard for me to be convinced, but I finally made up my mind after I gave it a try in the 100m with a time of 10. 94. And I was later selected to represent the Northern Region team in the Traditional Boxing day sport meet in December 2013,”he said.
That was his first appearance in front of 40,000 spectators who applauded him for his classic sprint style though he failed to make it to the finals.
After months of training, he was called to represent the Northern Region in the National Championship that was hosted in the city of Bo June 2014. He finished first place after clocking 21.71 in 200m and 3rd in the 100m with a time of 10.66.
Due to his performance he was invited to continue with training at one of the best athletics club in Freetown Camp Canada.
In 2015, Kamara competed in the All African Games that was staged in Brazzaville Congo. He ran 10.77 in the 100m with an electronic timing.
In December 2015 at the national Boxing Day sport he won both the 100m and 200m. He clocked 10.46 in the 100m and 21.31 in 200m.
Kamara continued his good form with excellent performance in the West Africa junior championship that was hosted in Banjul the Gambia, June 2016. He won silver medal in the 100m with a time of 10.77.
By Magdalene S Konneh from Rio Brazil
Friday August 12, 2016