Hosts, Ghana, finished without a gold medal at the 24th CAA African Senior Athletics Championship after securing one silver and four bronze medals at the competition which concluded on Sunday, May 17, in Accra at the University of Ghana Stadium.
Team Ghana ended the championship in 19th place on the medal table despite enjoying home support throughout the competition.
The country’s only silver medal came through Esther Ohenewaa in the women’s high jump event, while the remaining medals were all bronze.
Alex Amankwah delivered one of Ghana’s podium finishes in the men’s 800m race, while the men’s 4×100m relay team led by Joseph Paul Amoah also claimed third place. Ghana’s women’s 4×100m relay team equally secured bronze, with another bronze medal arriving in the men’s 400m event.
Although Ghana’s athletes showed determination across several disciplines, the inability to secure gold highlighted the gap between the hosts and the continent’s leading athletics nations.
South Africa once again emerged as the dominant force in African athletics after successfully defending the top spot on the medal table with a total of 18 medals which consist of nine gold, three silver and six bronze medals.
Among South Africa’s standout performers were Christi Snyman, who won gold in the women’s high jump with a leap of 1.84m, Aiden Smith who triumphed in the men’s shot put with a throw of 20.01m, Ansume De Beer who secured gold in the women’s pole vault after clearing a height of 4.30m, and long jump star Luvo Manyonga who captured gold in the men’s event with a jump of 8.15m.
South Africa Lead as East African Giants Chase Closely
Kenya and Ethiopia both finished strongly behind South Africa after each nation secured five gold medals during the championship. Kenya amassed 17 medals overall, adding five silver and seven bronze medals to their gold tally to finish second on the table.
Ethiopia followed closely with 14 medals made up of five gold, four silver and five bronze medals. Nigeria also enjoyed a successful outing, particularly in the sprint events, collecting four gold medals, three silver and two bronze medals to place fourth overall with nine medals.
Cameroon secured fifth place with three gold medals, one silver and two bronze medals, while Ivory Coast finished sixth after also winning three gold medals but with one less bronze medal than Cameroon.
Botswana, Egypt, Senegal and Algeria each claimed two gold medals during the championship. Algeria, however, stood out among the quartet for failing to win a silver medal.
Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Niger, Namibia and Eritrea also celebrated gold medal successes as they occupied positions 11th to 15th respectively on the final standings.
Ghana Overcome Early Challenges to Host Successful Championship
Despite a difficult start to the competition with several organisational and logistical challenges reported during the opening days, the championship gradually stabilised and concluded successfully.
The event attracted athletes from across the continent with participants from 47 nations joining Ghana and delivered several memorable performances before officially ending on Sunday evening.
During the closing ceremony, Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Hon. Kofi Adams, expressed gratitude to all participating athletes for contributing to the success of the championship.
“We are grateful to every athlete, official and delegation that came to Ghana to compete. Your performances have inspired many young Africans and helped make this championship memorable.”
Hon. Kofi Adams, Minister for Sports and Recreation
The Sports Minister also praised the Ghanaian media for their extensive coverage throughout the competition and encouraged journalists to continue spotlighting emerging talents across the country. “The media has done tremendously well in covering this championship and I urge you to continue projecting our upcoming athletes because they deserve the attention and support,” he added.
With the curtains now drawn on the 24th edition of the championship, attention shifts to Botswana, who will host the next African Senior Athletics Championship in 2028.
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