Team Ghana Concludes CAA U-18/U-20 African Athletics Championships with Four Medals*Team Ghana concluded the five-day CAA U-18/U-20 African Athletics Championships at the M.K.O. Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, Nigeria, with a total of four medals.
After a slow start, the team won their first medal on Day 3, courtesy of Tettey Philip Odjer’s silver in the men’s Under-18 400m with a time of 47.87 seconds.
Arthur Mahalalel Kwasi added a bronze medal in the men’s Under-18 110m hurdles on the same day.
The final day of the championship saw two more medals added to Ghana’s tally. Boateng Appiah Alex won bronze in the men’s Under-18 400m
hurdles, while Manu Esther secured silver in the women’s Under-18 400m hurdles, sealing Ghana’s medal count at four.
Team captain Moses Mbilla reflected on the team’s performance, saying,
“We did our best during these competitions. A lot of things happened, and most of us had injuries. Despite the challenges, we achieved four medals for the nation, and we’re grateful.”
Mbilla also highlighted the team’s inexperience and fear of competing against stronger opponents as factors that affected their performance.
“This is our first national competition, so there was a lot of fear in us. Looking at other countries, they brought a lot of athletes, which added to our fear.”
The team captain called on the government to give athletics more attention, stating, “I think the government should support athletes more. Football gets more focus, while athletes bring more medals and recognition to the nation.”
Head Coach Emmanuel Appiah Kubi described the competition as successful despite the challenges.
“We had a short time to prepare, and the travel distance was hectic, but the kids performed wonderfully well. We’ve gotten some medals for Ghana, and it’s not bad.”
CEO of Ghana Athletics and leader of the Team Ghana delegation, Mr. Ahmed Baffoe, praised the team’s performance.
“They’ve done tremendously well. We aimed to achieve more, but injuries and other challenges hindered us. Four medals is a fair achievement, and we hope to do better next time.”
Baffoe also expressed optimism about the future of Ghanaian athletics, citing the potential of the young athletes.
“We just need to put them into better training regimes. If we can provide them with proper training and support, I believe they’ll improve their performances.”
Team Ghana traveled to the championships with 10 athletes, six male and four female, and returned home safely on July 21, 2025, around 10:00 PM.
