The government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) for hosting the 24th edition of the Africa Senior Athletics Championships.
The championship, expected to be held from May 12-17, is to assemble the continent’s top athletes and officials.
The official signing ceremony, which took place at the conference room of the Ministry, had in attendance the sector minister, Mr Kofi Adams, board chairman of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Dr Fred Awaah, president of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Mr Richard Akpokavie, and members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Championships, led by its chairman, Mr Farihan Alhassan.
Also present was a delegation from the CAA led by its president, Mr Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, Chief Executive Officer of the CAA, Mr Lamine Faty, and the President of the CAA Region II, Mr Okowa Tonobok.
Welcoming the delegation, Mr Adams said Ghana was delighted to be given the nod to host the premium athletic event on the continent. Ghana, he assured, would do its best to push African athletics to the next level by delivering a very prestigious event.
“I am happy about the LOC for the championship. I know they have a track record of things they have done in the past and are more than capable of delivering yet another superb event.”
The trust reposed in Ghana by the CAA tells us that we need to continue to invest in infrastructure, that will enable us to have athletes of higher standards to come and compete and win laurels,” he noted.
He assured the CAA delegation of Ghana’s readiness to host the championship as well as the government’s unalloyed support for it, adding that it was the reason provision was made in the 2026 budget to cater for the championship. “President John Dramani Mahama believes in what sports stands for in individual countries and the world and will be there to support the event,” he added.
On his part, Mr Kalkaba Malboum expressed his outfit’s belief in the capacity of Ghana to host a highly successful event; hence, the resounding vote of confidence in Ghana to host the event ahead of Botswana.
“Ghana has been a sporting nation with great athletes, and the very professional presentation for the rights to host the championship delivered by Athletics Ghana president, Mr Bawa Fuseini, at our congress in Abeokuta in July last year again motivated the athletic family of Africa to believe in Ghana’s hosting abilities.”
“We had foreigners from Europe and the Americas as well as council members from World Athletics, and they were very impressed with Ghana’s presentation.”
“My visit to Ghana is to get the assurance of the Government of Ghana’s support for the championship, and with what I have heard here today, I am assured,” he narrated.
He charged the Local Organising Committee (LOC) to be very professional in their approach to the organisation of the championship, noting that the athletics world’s eye would be on Ghana come May.
“Most of our African athletes are world champions, so remember the event is not for Ghana but for the continent and the world at large, and we must measure up to the world standard of organization,” he added.
He expressed the CAA’s gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama for allowing Ghana to host the prestigious event.
Before the signing of the MoU, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the board chairman of the NSA and the GOC president, Mr Akpokavie, who both assured them of their outfit’s support for the championship.