The 2026 African Athletics Championships in Ghana did not get off to a smooth start. The competition, held at the University of Ghana stadium in Accra from May 12 to 17, has drawn heavy criticism over alleged poor athlete accommodations, food rationing and technical timing failures.
South African shot put star Aiden Smith told media his meal portions were heavily restricted, while athlete housing reportedly lacked basics like blankets and toilet paper.
“I was hoping for a massive throw, but the conditions didn’t allow it,” Smith told Olympics.com. This marks Ghana’s first time hosting the event, although it previously hosted the 2023 African Games.
FOOD RESTRICTIONS
“At the meal hall, they don’t allow us to take more than one chicken bone,” Smith told media. “You can’t take both chicken and fish; you’re only allowed to take one or the other. In the morning, they give me half an egg or one egg, but at home, I eat eight or nine eggs in the morning during competition.” Smith added that rooms did not have basics like blankets and fridges, and consistent access to toilet paper and functioning taps. “We had to request an air-conditioning remote at the reception, but we weren’t allowed to keep it,” he said. “We had to set it and give it back.
“I expected a lot more.”
Smith won the men’s shot put with a 20.01m throw. “I was aiming for 21m, but I’m still very happy with the win,” he said. Smith holds a shot put best of 20.89, set in March; he won the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in late April, throwing 20.55, and two days later, took third at the Akani Simbine Classic with 20.50m. He also owns a gold medal from the 2025 FISU World University Games.
GHANA SPORTS DIRECTORS APOLOGIZE
Following Smith’s report, South Africa’s minister of sport, arts and culture, Gayton McKenzie, reportedly arranged alternative hotel accommodation in Accra for the 34 members of the South African team.
The director of Ghana’s National Sports Authority (NSA), Veronica Commey, also issued a statement on Wednesday. “Personally, I was taken a little aback,” she said, regarding the complaints about the poor food supply. “When we go to the dorm, there is always a lot of food, so we don’t know where that came from. But it’s something we want to assure you we are working on.”
Smith’s interview also received some criticism, with users on X saying his expectations were too high. “He’s gotten so comfortable to South Africa being one of the most developed countries in Africa that he expects all countries to operate the same way and have the same standard of living,” one user wrote. “He should be aware of this; I don’t know why he’s complaining.”
One Ghanaian influencer shared a video after visiting the championships’ meal hall, showing ample food available and athletes disputing claims of any issues.
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Results from several events from Day 1 have not yet been posted on the official live results website; in a few cases, some heats of an event appear to be recorded, while other heats of the same event were not.
One video shared online also shows athletes in the men’s 100m analyzing footage of the race to determine the winners.
Commey explained that these technical difficulties and real-time transmission of results were caused by several power outages on Day 1, despite backup generators. “We have isolated a lot of the power, so we don’t have a repeat of what happened yesterday,” she said.
She also apologized to the media for the excessive noise and unstable WiFi, which may have disrupted their work. “It is not acceptable,” she said. “You need a quiet environment to operate. I apologize for the noise and distraction; measures have been put in place to resolve the issues.”
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