Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has strongly defended the feeding arrangements provided to athletes at the 2026 African Senior Athletics Championships hosted in Accra.
Responding to complaints from several competitors about inadequate meals, he insisted that there was nothing wrong with the provisions and explicitly denied any plan to feed athletes nine eggs each, a claim that had circulated widely on social media.
The issue came to prominence after a South African athlete, Aiden Smith, posted a video highlighting his experience. Smith noted that he normally eats around eight or nine eggs daily as part of his high-protein diet during training, and sometimes as many as 20 in the off-season.
At the Games Village in Ghana, however, he reported receiving only one egg or even half an egg per meal. Other athletes echoed similar concerns, mentioning small portions of chicken, fish, and other proteins, along with issues like insufficient blankets, warm water, and basic amenities such as toilet paper in the accommodations.
These complaints painted a picture of hospitality that fell short of what elite athletes require to maintain peak performance.
Minister Adams pushed back during his public remarks, arguing that much of the criticism stemmed from sensational or misleading media coverage. He emphasized Ghana’s dedication to hosting a successful continental event and its ambition to become a preferred destination for major athletics championships across Africa in the future.
While some participants observed that the food offerings improved as the competition progressed, the early reports sparked significant online discussion about athlete welfare at such multi-nation tournaments.
Adams framed the episode as part of the challenges and scrutiny that accompany organizing a high-profile international sporting event, even as Ghana works to showcase its organizational capabilities on the continental stage.
