Ghana has taken a decisive step towards hosting Africa’s premier track and field event after the Government of Ghana and the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding to stage the 24th Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Accra in May.

The MoU, which legally confirms Ghana’s hosting rights, was signed on Wednesday at the Ministries in Accra by the Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, on behalf of the Government and Ghana Athletics (GA), with CAA President, Col. Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, signing for the continental governing body.

The agreement paves the way for the biennial championships to be held at the University of Ghana Stadium, Legon, from May 12 to 17, 2026, following Ghana’s successful bid over Botswana at the CAA Congress in Douala, Cameroun, in June 2024.

Government's commitment

Welcoming the CAA delegation, Mr Adams underscored the historic significance of athletics in Ghana and reaffirmed the government’s full support for the event.

“Athletics in Ghana is a big thing; it brings us together. Football was nowhere near athletics, and it is still not. I welcome the CAA. Ghana is grateful for giving us this opportunity to host Africa, and we will not disappoint,” the Minister said.

He added that the highest level of political support had been secured for the championships.

“The President and all of us are solidly behind you. The President believes in the values that sports represent and fully supports this event. I charge Ghana Athletics to prepare athletes of high calibre and standards to compete and make us proud.”

CAA President, Col. Malboum, expressed confidence in Ghana’s readiness, noting the overwhelming support the country received during the bidding process.

“Ghana was awarded this with very high votes, underlining our belief in Ghana to host a successful championship. So I am happy to know that everything is in order,” he said.

“We are grateful to the President for allowing Ghana to host the rest of Africa. We are going to deliver not just for Ghana, but the entire African continent.”

The continental body's delegation to Accra included CAA Vice-President, Tonobok Okowa and the CEO, Lamine Fati.

As part of their visit, the delegation paid courtesy calls on key stakeholders, including the National Sports Authority, where they were welcomed by the Board Chairman, Dr Fred Awaah, and the Deputy Director-General (Technical), Veronica Commey, at the Accra Sports Stadium. 

Institutional support

They also met the President of the Ghana Olympic Committee, Richard Akpokavie, who pledged full support for the Local Organising Committee (LOC) to stage a world-class championship and position Ghana for even bigger global events.

With a LOC chaired by the Managing Director of GCB Bank, Farihan Alhassan, inaugurated last month, preparations for the championships are already underway. The event is expected to attract more than 1,000 athletes and officials from across Africa.

Ghana Athletics President, Bawah Fuseini, said the country was determined to surpass the organisational standards set during the 2023 African Games in Accra.

“We will strive to do even better than we did during the Accra 2023 African Games two years ago. That success was by design, performance and effort. We assure you we will work hard to ensure a successful and memorable championship in Accra in May,” he stressed.