Ghana’s Sports and Recreation Minister Honourable Kofi Adams has strongly opposed the claims made by South African athlete Aiden Smith over the quality and quantity of food served during the recently concluded 24th CAA African Senior Athletics Championship in Accra, insisting the concerns were exaggerated and unfairly amplified by the media.
The controversy emerged after Smith complained about meals provided to athletes during the continental competition, with his comments about being served inadequate portions quickly gaining traction across social media and local media platforms.
However, speaking after the championship, Hon. Adams questioned the consistency of the athlete’s account and defended the Local Organising Committee (LOC), describing the feeding arrangements throughout the event as efficient and well-coordinated.
According to the minister, the athlete’s changing version of events weakened the credibility of the complaint which the media failed to point out. He also added that the inconsistency in the complaint painted an inaccurate picture of Ghana’s hosting of the championship.
“You see, the problem I have with the media, you speak with an athlete outside, who first started by saying he was given half an egg. He then changed the story from half egg to one egg. Then he said he was given one chicken and then he changed again that he confronted them and they gave him two chickens. That delusion should let you know that the athlete was not telling you the truth.”
Hon. Kofi Adams, Minister for Sports and Recreation
Minister Defends LOC Over Feeding Arrangements
The minister further explained that no participating federation officially requested special dietary arrangements for Smith or any other athlete before the competition began.
He noted that the championship organisers had established procedures that allowed federations to declare unique dietary requirements ahead of the event so the LOC could make adequate preparations. “We did not make provision for any athlete to be fed nine eggs,” Hon. Kofi Adams pointed out. “If any athlete has special diet, there is a form that we fill, so that the LOC can factor those meals in. Nobody filled the form that they needed that kind of special diet.”
Smith had reportedly claimed that in South Africa he consumed up to nine eggs as part of his regular nutritional routine, a statement the minister argued could not reasonably become the standard for all athletes at the championship.
Hon. Adams also expressed frustration that the media focused heavily on one dissatisfied athlete while overlooking positive feedback from several other competitors.
“On that same day, South African athletes were being fed and full of smiles and thanking the people. But we were not interested in talking about those ones. We were interested in one athlete who did not provide any evidence beyond his own statement.”
Hon. Kofi Adams
The minister insisted food service during the competition remained one of the strongest aspects of Ghana’s organisation of the event. He explained that multiple catering groups were assigned specific feeding schedules to avoid delays and shortages.
“Food was one of the things that the LOC did very well. They scheduled it in such a way that two groups were providing breakfast, another set providing lunch, another set providing dinner, so that there would be no issues. Breakfast was timely, lunch was timely, and dinner was also timely. And there was always enough.”
Hon. Kofi Adams, Minister for Sports and Recreation
Despite strongly dismissing the allegations surrounding food quantity, Adams acknowledged that organisers did receive some concerns from athletes unfamiliar with Ghanaian cuisine, particularly regarding the spicy nature of certain meals served during the opening days of the championship.
He revealed that adjustments were quickly made once organisers became aware of those concerns. “Some athletes also complained about the spicy nature of our food initially,” Adams noted. “By the third day, when it came to the attention of those in charge of food, some balancing was done.”
According to him, caterers introduced milder meal options alongside the usual spicy dishes to accommodate athletes from countries with different food preferences and eating habits. “We had spicy chicken, less spicy ones, to make room for athletes coming from countries who are not used to such spicy food,” he explained.
The minister concluded by maintaining that there were no major problems regarding feeding arrangements throughout the championship and praised the LOC for responding swiftly to concerns raised during the event. “So there was absolutely no problem with food in terms of quantity and in terms of quality,” the Honourable minister stressed.
The 24th CAA African Senior Athletics Championship, hosted in Accra, brought together athletes from across the continent and formed part of Ghana’s broader efforts to strengthen its reputation as a destination capable of hosting major international sporting competitions.
The next edition of the championship will be held in Botswana in 2028.
