Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games:Mixed Fortunes as Babu Advances, Otieno Exits
Mark Odhiambo of Kenya after competing in the men's 100m preliminary round at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Monday.Photo: Stanley Magut in Glasgow
GLASGOW, Scotland, July 27 2026 — Kenya experienced mixed fortunes on the opening day of track and field competition at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with Meshack Babu advancing to the men's 100m semi-finals while Mark Otieno bowed out in the heats at Scotstoun Stadium on Monday.
Babu, 30, produced an impressive run in Heat One, clocking 10.21 seconds to finish second behind Nigeria's Favour Ashe, who won the race in 10.10 seconds, securing automatic qualification to the semi-finals.
Speaking after the race, Babu expressed satisfaction with both his performance and the time he posted in his Commonwealth Games debut.
"First of all, I thank God. I was the one who opened the track, and at least I have qualified for the semi-finals. I really thank God because it was not easy. Running 10.21 in the heats is good. If I had run a slower time, I would have had a problem, so it means I'm in good shape," he said.
The Kenyan sprinter said his focus now shifts to improving his personal best and securing a place in the final.
"Being my first race and progressing from the heats, I feel so proud. Tomorrow is where the real work lies because the big names were resting today, and we'll all be together in the semi-finals. I just want to improve my time—that's what I came for—a new personal best and, God willing, a place in the final," he added.
It was, however, a disappointing outing for fellow Kenyan Mark Otieno, whose campaign ended in the opening round.
Competing in Heat 10 during his second Commonwealth Games appearance after making his debut at Gold Coast in 2018, Otieno finished fourth in 10.38 seconds, missing out on qualification.
A disappointed Otieno admitted he was unable to execute his race as planned but vowed to analyse his performance before deciding on the next steps.
"It was a tough heat; a very strong one. I am disappointed with the performance, but other than that, I remain hopeful," he said.
"To be honest, I don't know what went wrong. I'll go back, review everything, see what happened, and figure out what I need to do next."
Babu will return to the track on Tuesday aiming to secure a place in the men's 100m final, as Kenya continues its campaign at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.