The Ghanaian capital of Accra will host the 2027 African Senior Athletics Championships next year, the Confederation of African Athletics has announced.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing CAA U18/U20 championships, CAA president Kalkaba Malboum also announced that Gaborone, Botswana, will stage the championships in 2028.
Algeria has won the rights to host the fourth edition of the combined Under-18 and Under-20 Athletics Championships in 2027.
Kalkaba said Egypt and Ethiopia have expressed interest in hosting future youth championships, but a final decision on those bids will be made in due course.
The CAA is also searching for a new host for the African Cross Country Championships, which has lost prominence at the global level due to Africa’s continued dominance in the sport.
Kalkaba noted Oran, Algeria, was initially granted hosting rights for the U-18 and U-20 championships, but showed little enthusiasm in the final stages of preparation.
“I was in Oran during the ANOCA General Assembly and held
discussions with both the Algerian Federation President and the Minister of
Sports, but I didn’t feel the level of interest needed to successfully host the
event,” Kalkaba said.
“Fortunately, Shehu Diko, chairman of Nigeria’s Sports Commission, was present during that meeting. As a brother, I approached him and asked if Nigeria could take up the challenge within four months, and they delivered,” he said.
He emphasised that youth competitions such as the U-18 and U-20 championships are critical to Africa’s long-term success in athletics, a stepping stone to Olympic and World Championships.
“These events prepare the future of high-performance athletics in Africa. They are vital to building the pride of the continent on the global stage,” he said.
