Africa’s top track and field athletes have started arriving in Accra ahead of the 24th African Senior Athletics Championships, which begins on Tuesday, May 12, at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium in Legon.
The six-day competition is expected to attract more than 1,000 athletes and officials from across the continent, with competitors set to battle in 44 disciplines. The championship marks a historic occasion for Ghana, which is hosting the event for only the second time and the first time in more than four decades.
The arrival of teams coincides with a Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Council meeting in Accra, attended by World Athletics President Lord Sebastian Coe, who arrived in Ghana on Saturday. Coe is expected to meet President John Dramani Mahama and Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams as preparations intensify for the championship.
Several world-renowned athletes are expected to headline the competition. Nigeria’s world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, Botswana’s Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, Kenya’s distance stars Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet, as well as Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga are all confirmed for the event.
Ghana will rely on athletes including Rose Amoanimaa Yeboah, Joseph Paul Amoah, Benjamin Azamati, and the men’s 4x100m relay team, who have already secured qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
Organisers have also installed additional World Athletics-certified electronic timing equipment to ensure smooth competition operations. A technical meeting for participating delegations is scheduled for Monday before events officially commence on Tuesday.
