Ghana has officially launched the 48-day countdown to the 24th African Senior Athletics Championships, with Accra set to host Africa’s premier track and field event for the first time from May 12 to 17 at the University of Ghana Stadium in Legon.
About 54 countries are expected to compete over the six-day championship, which serves as the first major outdoor competition of the 2026 athletics season and a key qualifying platform ahead of the Commonwealth Games. The event is also expected to attract more than 1,000 athletes and officials from across the continent.
Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Iddie Adams, who addressed the launch ceremony in Accra, said Ghana secured the hosting rights with a mandate to deliver a world-class competition. “From the moment Ghana was entrusted with this honour, we have worked closely with the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) and the Local Organising Committee to ensure everything is in place,” he said. He also called on corporate Ghana to invest in athletics, describing the sport as a strong platform for national branding and marketing. Adams added that the championships would inspire young Ghanaian athletes by giving them a direct view of continental-level performance, and used the occasion to highlight the lack of proper training tracks in several regions of the country as an infrastructure gap requiring urgent attention.
Ghana Athletics President Fuseini Bawa, who also sits on the Local Organising Committee (LOC), said the launch marks a shift from background planning to visible execution. He disclosed that all key subcommittees covering accommodation, feeding, transport, logistics, security, protocol, media and sponsorship had been working steadily and would now accelerate ahead of the CAA’s final inspection scheduled for mid-April. “Having launched the event, we will now consistently update the nation on progress and what remains to be done,” he said. Bawa also confirmed that over 100 trained technical officials are expected to officiate across the six days of competition.
Accommodation arrangements are progressing, with Limann Hall at the University of Ghana designated to house participating athletes. Preparations are expected to gain further momentum when the university begins its break later this month, freeing up the campus for championship operations. Teams are scheduled to arrive on May 10, with a technical meeting set for May 11 before competition begins.
Ghana beat Botswana 12 votes to 3 at the CAA Congress in Douala, Cameroon in June 2024 to win hosting rights for this edition of the championships, which was last held in Douala in 2024. The LOC is chaired by Farihan Alhassan, Managing Director of GCB Bank.
The competition is expected to feature some of Africa’s biggest names. Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, the world record holder in the 100 metres hurdles, is confirmed as a major draw alongside Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo and Kenya’s distance runners Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet. South Africa and Botswana’s relay teams, who have impressed on the global stage, are also expected to feature prominently. Ghana will be represented by Rose Amoanimaa Yeboah, Joseph Paul Amoah, Benjamin Azamati, Ibrahim Fuseini, Isaac Botsio, Edwin Gadayi and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, among others, with organisers anticipating a replay of the electric atmosphere that gripped the University of Ghana Stadium during the 2023 African Games.
