Delegation from the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) has conducted a formal inspection of facilities at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium as part of final preparations for the 2026 Africa Senior Athletics Championship.
The delegation, led by CAA Chief Executive Officer Lamine Fati and Head of TV Production Melinda Lomba, undertook a comprehensive assessment of competition venues and associated infrastructure. The championship is scheduled to take place from May 12 to 17, 2026, at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.
During the inspection, Mr. Fati commended the Government of Ghana for it’s adequate preparations towards the championship.
“I want to thank the Ghanaian government for all the arrangements and facilities given to us to make our mission successful,” Mr. Fati stated. “We are here to inspect all facilities and arrangements made by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) to ensure these championships are very successful.”
The CAA team also toured designated hotels for athletes, officials, and guests. Mr. Fati expressed satisfaction with the accommodation standards observed.
“We spent the morning touring the hotels where our people will be accommodated the athletes first, then officials and guests. We are very satisfied. We saw very good facilities in all the hotels we visited. On that issue, we have no concerns,” he noted.
Addressing anti-doping protocols, Mr. Fati confirmed productive discussions with Ghana’s National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO).
“We had a very good discussion with NADO here in Ghana and were provided with very useful information. This coordination will continue with our anti-doping delegates. So far, we are very satisfied.”
On logistics and transportation, the CAA CEO confirmed that preparations remain on schedule.
“We also discussed international transportation, and we’ve been told that all reservations will be completed by this week. 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, we are looking forward to a very successful competition.”
Drawing on previous experience hosting the African Games in Ghana, Mr. Fati expressed confidence in the nation’s capacity to deliver a high-quality event.
“We know what this country can do. We were here a few years ago for the African Games and experienced very good collaboration with Ghanaians, both officials and administrative staff. We had very successful events then, and we are in the same mood now. We hope to have the same conditions for performance.”
Ghana Athletics President Bawah Fuseini described Mr. Fati as both approachable and uncompromising in his professional standards.
“I know him. He’s my friend, but he’s very strict about his work,” Mr. Fuseini said. “Regardless of our friendship, if he sees something that isn’t correct, he will tell me directly: ‘Bawah, we cannot accept this one.’ He has given us very good advice so far.”
Mr. Fuseini added that the inspection included a detailed review of technical equipment, the competition track, and office allocations for CAA staff.
“We had a very productive meeting at the ministry with the LOC. Today, we’re at the stadium for him to check our technical equipment, inspect the track, and review the offices we’re allocating for CAA staff when they arrive in Accra.”
The 2026 Africa Senior Athletics Championship is expected to draw top athletes from across the continent, with organisers continuing final preparations in the weeks leading up to the event.
