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Aiden Smith 🇿🇦 speaks out over poor athlete treatment at the ongoing African Championships in Ghana!

He was crowned African Shot Put Champion today.pic.twitter.com/2fGSsdA3TB

— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) May 12, 2026

The 2026 African Athletics Championships in Ghana did not get off to a smooth start. The competition, held at the University of Ghana stadium in Accra from May 12 to 17, has drawn heavy criticism over alleged poor athlete accommodations, food rationing and technical timing failures.

South African shot put star Aiden Smith told media his meal portions were heavily restricted, while athlete housing reportedly lacked basics like blankets and toilet paper.

“I was hoping for a massive throw, but the conditions didn’t allow it,” Smith told Olympics.com. This marks Ghana’s first time hosting the event, although it previously hosted the 2023 African Games.

FOOD RESTRICTIONS

“At the meal hall, they don’t allow us to take more than one chicken bone,” Smith told media. “You can’t take both chicken and fish; you’re only allowed to take one or the other. In the morning, they give me half an egg or one egg, but at home, I eat eight or nine eggs in the morning during competition.” Smith added that rooms did not have basics like blankets and fridges, and consistent access to toilet paper and functioning taps. “We had to request an air-conditioning remote at the reception, but we weren’t allowed to keep it,” he said. “We had to set it and give it back.

“I expected a lot more.”

Smith won the men’s shot put with a 20.01m throw. “I was aiming for 21m, but I’m still very happy with the win,” he said. Smith holds a shot put best of 20.89, set in March; he won the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in late April, throwing 20.55, and two days later, took third at the Akani Simbine Classic with 20.50m. He also owns a gold medal from the 2025 FISU World University Games.

GHANA SPORTS DIRECTORS APOLOGIZE

Following Smith’s report, South Africa’s minister of sport, arts and culture, Gayton McKenzie, reportedly arranged alternative hotel accommodation in Accra for the 34 members of the South African team.

The director of Ghana’s National Sports Authority (NSA), Veronica Commey, also issued a statement on Wednesday. “Personally, I was taken a little aback,” she said, regarding the complaints about the poor food supply. “When we go to the dorm, there is always a lot of food, so we don’t know where that came from. But it’s something we want to assure you we are working on.”

Smith’s interview also received some criticism, with users on X saying his expectations were too high. “He’s gotten so comfortable to South Africa being one of the most developed countries in Africa that he expects all countries to operate the same way and have the same standard of living,” one user wrote. “He should be aware of this; I don’t know why he’s complaining.”

One Ghanaian influencer shared a video after visiting the championships’ meal hall, showing ample food available and athletes disputing claims of any issues.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

Results from several events from Day 1 have not yet been posted on the official live results website; in a few cases, some heats of an event appear to be recorded, while other heats of the same event were not.

One video shared online also shows athletes in the men’s 100m analyzing footage of the race to determine the winners.

Commey explained that these technical difficulties and real-time transmission of results were caused by several power outages on Day 1, despite backup generators. “We have isolated a lot of the power, so we don’t have a repeat of what happened yesterday,” she said.

She also apologized to the media for the excessive noise and unstable WiFi, which may have disrupted their work. “It is not acceptable,” she said. “You need a quiet environment to operate. I apologize for the noise and distraction; measures have been put in place to resolve the issues.”

Do me I do you, man no go vex.

Apart from particular beef with SA, Ghana's hospitality is generally POOR. I have had few bad experiences. This people don't even give water for free, no matter how much they charge you for a hotel room or in a restaurant, YOU MUST STILL BUY WATER
Food is generally boring and their services and attitudes is generally nonchalant and sluggish.

And these are the same people who are constantly polluting our ears with noise - "you Sort Of Freecans need to stop being lazy,you need to move across Africa and open your mind" .If this is what "opening the mind" comes with then you all can keep the invitation.We ain't coming.

Black South Africans have no right to demand respect or good treatment outside their xenophobic Zulu enclave.


They should be grateful that White people from Netherlands decided to stay back and build South Africa for them, if not, Sudan and Somali will be paradise today compared to xenophobic South Africa

franchasng:
Black South Africans have no right to demand respect or good treatment outside their xenophobic Zulu enclave.

They should be grateful that White people from Netherlands decided to stay back and build South Africa for them, if not, Sudan and Somali will be paradise today compared to xenophobic South Africa

Yawn! Trying too hard to be provocative 🙄🙄 Ever since democratic rule, black SA surpasses you in every index of human development.

You South African idiooots should keep quiet and adapt to situations outside your country! Other participating countries aren't complaining except you spoilt brats.

Mirasteel:
Do me I do you, man no go vex.

Don’t be surprised when South African teams & delegates get treated horribly in any African tournament
This is just the beginning
AFCON is next year
They just opened a can they’d wish they never did
They should keep up with the afropho..bia, keep deleting other nationals because they are on your soil
Evul pple
Political illiteracy probably sponsored by elites/agencies to create more division

RandDigital:
Yawn! Trying too hard to be provocative 🙄🙄 Ever since democratic rule, black SA surpasses you in every index of human development.

what's your aim in always creating controversial south africa topics on a Nigerian forum?
What in the four corners of this world do you intend to achieve?

What is happening between we the blacks??

Why ?

You treat me bad ...

I treat you bad

It's high time every African country or its citizens start treating this Satafricans bad whenever they come around them...



Good one Ghana 🇬🇭

While I don’t support evil, sometimes, a little payback isn’t too bad. WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS A VERY SWEET SAUCE TO THE GANDER !!!

i hope Ghana did worse to them

Congratulations 🎉 👏 to SA brothers

No one has the monopoly of violence. If you have mastered the art of xenophobia some are specialists in other forms of violence, .

The stoopid SA govt can swiftly hurry to investigate such alligation but failed to promptly respond to the xenophobic mistreatment foreigners received in the hands of its illiterate citizens
To hell with their threats

Half egg in a country like Ghana wey egg too much? Yea, that is intentional but this oyin could be lying o. Ghana does not play around with African betrayal. If they know Ghana history. They will be treated hostile in most African countries. What did they expect? Their government better back off. They kept mute whe. Their citizens were on rampage. If they dont like it they can withdraw

How come you hardly see white South Africans get involved in this online banter?

Those folks must be polished and classy 👍

So, South Africa can complain about bad treatment of their citizens in other country

Do me I do you. Man no go fex!

Boladogailese:
What is happening between we the blacks??

Nothing is happening. This is just a trickle down effect from the way Trump and Elon Musk talk about Black people and immigrants. When they keep saying bad things about the blacks for a long time. There now comes the times the black people started hating on themselves and resenting each other. People dont know this but it is the truth.

ghana make una pepper dem.. give them fire for fire

AFRICA SHOULD BAN SOUTH AFRICA FROM SPORTING COMPETITIONS BECAUSE OF THE XENOPHOBIC KILLINGS OF OTHER AFRICANS until THEY ARREST THE PERPETRATORS AND NO SINGLE INCIDENCE OF BLACK ON BLACK VIOLENCE IS HEARD AGAIN.

(I remember that South Africa was banned from all African sporting activities back in the Seventies & Eighties)

CAF.....Ban them from next Nations Cup PLEASE!!!!

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Hemanwel:
When they have Patrice Motsepe, their son, as the CAF president, how will CAF ban SA?

Are you aware that there are over 50 countries in CAF, not only your SA? Have you heard of voting, referendum, and the like?

RandDigital:
Yawn! Trying too hard to be provocative 🙄🙄 Ever since democratic rule, black SA surpasses you in every index of human development.

You always bring your topics here as a south African. And when people respond, you start insulting Nigerians

I don't blame you Sha....
I blame the MOD who always push your topics to the front page

Can you guys allow a Nigerian to post topic on your platform if you have anything like Nairaland in your country

Cleanman:
what's your aim in always creating controversial south africa topics on a Nigerian forum?
What in the four corners of this world do you intend to achieve?

Do you blame him?

His purpose of posting his topics is to insult the sensitive of we Nigerians

When people respond, all he does is to insult us

I blame the MODs who always allow this to continue

This is very sad

Patnome:
You always bring your topics here as a south African. And when people respond, you start insulting Nigerians

I don't blame you Sha....
I blame the MOD who always push your topics to the front page

Can you guys allow a Nigerian to post topic on your platform if you have anything like Nairaland in your country

I responded to an insult - did you miss that part?

LabStores:
Apart from particular beef with SA, Ghana's hospitality is generally POOR. I have had few bad experiences. This people don't even give water for free, no matter how much they charge you for a hotel room.
Food is generally boring and their services and attitudes is generally nonchalant and sluggish.

But those weren't the things he was complaining of right now...


He was complaining of not enough portions.


I find it very hard to believe Ghana in a competition of this scale and magnitude would give an adult half an egg!