By Şevket F. ERBAY
The World Indoor Championships is underway in the Polish inland city of Torun, as some tiny nations would be represented by a single athlete, mostly in the 60 metres dash. However, Western Africa’s Guinea-Bissau’s flag on screening during the 60 metres hurdles, thanks to 24-year-old Usumane Djumo. It will be its first appearance for Guinea-Bissau since 2018, and fourth overall at the World Indoors.
Usumane, a fast-rising high hurdler, was born in Bissau in November 2001 but moved to Portugal shortly after. He stepped onto the athletics track at Algarve’s Academia da Bela Vista before focusing on his international career, moving to the north of the country, Viana do Castelo. He joined a professional project run by CAOV (Clube de Atletismo Olimpico Vianense) in 2024. Under the guidance of coach Jose Barros, Djumo quickly developed into a fine hurdler at the international level. At the same time, his application to change nationality was successful, and he was eligible to compete for Guinea-Bissau rather than Portugal.
Usumane dropped his 110m hurdles PB under 14 seconds in less than two seasons and recorded 13.88 in Braga, a new Guinea-Bissau record. He qualified for the Worlds in Tokyo and competed in the heats there. It was the first taste for the young Guinean.
KEY TO CLUB SUCCESS
Usumane is keen as mustard for the new season, helped his team, CAOV, secure promotion to the First Division of the Portugal Indoor League, and was hailed by the club as a key player at the championships. Clocked around 8.00 and 8.20 in eleven outings during the 2026 winter season before he finally cracked the barrier and dipped 7.96 secs in the Portuguese National Indoor Champs as a guest. With his new national record, he also gets the ticket to Torun.
Usumane Djumo will cement his ability to compete against the very best in Torun. But shortly, he’ll be one of the medal contenders in Accra at the African Championships. Djumo says his main goal is to get a historic podium finish at the African Championships. The West African nation has contested the continental event nine times since its inauguration in 1996 and has won only a silver medal, earned by shot putter Jessica Inchude in 2018, who now represents Portugal.
He donated his International Merit Trophy to the Guinea-Bissau Athletics Federation to express his solidarity with the motherland, wanting to do more. Now, focus on being a source of pride for two million Bissau-Guineans.
