THE Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) has expressed satisfaction with the level of Ghana’s preparation for the hosting of the 24th African Senior Athletics Championships, scheduled for May 12-17 at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.
A two-member delegation, led by CAA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lamine Fati, and Madam Melinda Lombard, Head of Television Production, inspected the facilities at the venue including the running tracks, offices, and other technical equipment.
The delegation also met with officials from the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the event, the Ghana Anti-Doping Agency (GADA), among others, to discuss local and international transportation arrangements.
The team also visited the hotels earmarked to host athletes, officials, and guests.
In an interaction with the media after the stadium inspection, Mr Fati commended government’s commitment to hosting a successful championship and assisting with all the arrangements and facilities.
“We are happy to be here, and we are very satisfied with the good facilities we have seen so far. From the accommodation facilities to the event facilities and other logistics, we are very pleased with what Ghana has in place for the championship,” he mentioned.
Regarding anti-doping issues, Mr Fati confirmed fruitful discussions with GADA, adding that coordination will continue with the CAA’s anti-doping delegates in order to ensure that the championship was doping-free.
“From now, we can consider ourselves ready to go. We haven’t finished our inspection yet; there are still a few issues to address, but overall, Ghana is about 96 per cent ready for the championships, and we are looking forward to a very successful competition.”
Ghana’s ability to deliver a good championship is never in doubt. We were here a few years ago for the African Games, and the experience was very good with Ghanaians, both officials and administrative staff,” he added.
The President of Ghana Athletics, Mr Bawah Fuseini, who took the delegation around, thanked them for their assessment of the facilities seen so far and for the trust placed in Ghana to host a successful competition.
“The constructive feedback provided during this inspection has been well received, and we will work on it to deliver a flawless competition,” he said.
Mr Fuseini thanked the government and its sports agencies for the support Ghana Athletics has enjoyed in making the hosting of the CAA championship a success.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
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