The 2026 African Athletics Championships officially get underway today, Tuesday, May 12, with a full slate of track and field events expected to headline an action-packed opening day of competition.
Day One features some of the championships’ most anticipated races, including the men’s 100 metre heats and semi-finals, the women’s 100 metre semi-finals, as well as the men’s and women’s 400 metres events.
Athletes will also compete in the men’s 800 metres, alongside the women’s discus and shot put finals, with several other track and field disciplines scheduled.
Team Ghana will have a strong representation on home soil, with about 17 athletes set to compete across multiple events.
Leading the national charge is Abdul-Rashid Saminu, Ghana’s fastest man, who lines up in the men’s 100 metres alongside Joseph Paul Amoah and Edwin Gadayi.
The opening day will also offer a platform for emerging talents, particularly from the senior high school level. One of the standout names is Portia Nkrumah of Sammo SHS, who was crowned the overall best female athlete in the 2025 Ashanti Regional Super Zonal Athletics competition.
Several other young athletes from schools in Kumasi are also expected to feature as Ghana banks on its next generation of talent.
Officials are anticipating a vibrant atmosphere as fans fill the stands for what is expected to be a highly competitive start to the championships.
The event will run from today through Saturday, May 17, at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.
More than 1,500 athletes and 500 officials from about 54 countries are in Accra for Africa’s premier athletics competition, which will feature events across 44 disciplines.
