Accra: The Vice President of Ghana Athletics, Charles Osei Asibey, has disclosed that the lack of a test run for the 2026 African Athletics Championships contributed significantly to the organizational challenges. He emphasized the importance of conducting a test run before such major events to help the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) identify and address potential setbacks before the championship begins.
According to Ghana Web, Asibey pointed out that incidents such as broken poles and other mishaps could have been avoided if organizers had conducted a test run. He questioned why the organizers failed to push for this crucial step, which could have prevented embarrassment during the event. Asibey expressed his disappointment, stating, "What I feel we missed was a test run [for the athletics championship]. For any major event, you must do a test run. I think that, whether it was out of pressure or oversight, we did not do this. As for the equipment, the least said about them. I feel if we had done simulations a day or two before the event, we would have realized that there were problems with the poles," he told Sporty FM.
Asibey vowed that Ghana Athletics will collaborate with the LOC to address these issues and ensure a better experience for athletes in future events. "I won't be able to give a fair assessment of two or three days of the African Athletics Championships. What I can say is that the commentaries are not good, and we will work to fix them," he added.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that there has been significant improvement in the concerns raised by athletes, as the LOC continues to work hard to provide full support.