2026 African Athletics Championships taking shape: Metro Bus, Peeva get on board

N 18 days, the 24th African Athletics Championships will light up the University of Ghana Stadium as the continent’s stars, both established and budding, converge to compete for honours.

The championship, Africa’s most prestigious and exclusive track and field event to be held from May 12 to 17, will involve about 1,500 athletes and 500 officials from 54 African countries in 44 sporting disciplines in the championship dubbed Accra 2026,  which will also serve as a prelude to this year’s Commonwealth Games later in June.

With the championship date drawing so close, the organisation is also taking shape, as the Local Organising Committee (LOC) clinches significant partnership deals to ensure an efficient and successful hosting.

This week, two significant deals were signed to ensure the efficient transportation and also the provision of beverage for both athletes and officials during the week-long event.

Also, the sub-committee in charge of competition has stepped up its preparation, organising a training workshop for the technical officials.

Already, the protocol and accommodation sub-committees have covered a lot of ground to ensure the safe arrival, safety and comfort of athletes and officials.

Though the championship starts on May 12, teams are expected to start arriving on May 8.

Metro Mass buses

The Transport and Logistics sub-committee of the LOC earlier in the week entered into an agreement with the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) as the main transport provider for the athletes during the championships.

Under the agreement, the MMTL will deploy its latest fleet of buses for the transportation needs of the teams, athletes, backroom and technical personnel commuting from the Athletes Village to the UG Stadium for the duration of the championships until the last athlete and official leave the Village when the competition ends.  

Announcing its commitment to ensuring a successful hosting of the championships, the Managing Director of the MMTL, Kale Cezario,  at the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) gave an assurance that the championship would be used to unveil the new fleet of buses which had been purchased for business.

“As a company committed to national development, we are pleased to provide safe and reliable transportation services for all participants expected for the championship. 

“In demonstration of our commitment to excellence, we will deploy our new fleet of buses to facilitate transportation operations throughout the event period.

“Management of MMTL is confident that this collaboration will not only ensure seamless transportation for participants but also contribute significantly to delivering a memorable championship,” Mr Cezario said at the signing.

Peeva on board

Another critical aspect for the success of the championship, the provision of water and beverage, has also been effectively taken care of by Peeva Beverages coming on board as the official beverage partner.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ghana Athletics (GA) and Peeva Beverages will collaborate to ensure the provision of high quality hydration and refreshment solutions for athletes, officials and spectators throughout the championship period. 

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to excellence, performance and the promotion of athletics across Africa.

The President of Ghana Athletics and member of the LOC, Bawah Fuseini, described the offer from Peeva as significant, given the importance of water for athletes in particular and all other stakeholders involved in the organisation of events during the championships.

He said with financial demands for hosting such events, private sector collaboration was key for a successful and efficient outcome.
 

“Government alone cannot shoulder all the financial burden, thus partnerships of this nature are critical to enhancing operational delivery and athlete welfare. 

“We, therefore, appreciate the gesture from Peeva Beverages to take up the role as official beverage sponsor to provide water, a critical lifeline for every sportsman or woman during the period of the championship,” Mr Bawah said.

Beyond being the official beverage sponsor, Peeva Beverage has also signed on to be an official sponsor of Team Ghana during the championships

Peeva Beverages, in turn, expressed pride in supporting Ghana Athletics and contributing to a historic sporting moment on the African calendar. 

The company reaffirmed its dedication to quality and innovation, aligning its brand with the values of strength, endurance and peak performance that athletics embodies.

Technical training

Seventy persons, who signed up to be deployed as technical officials of AAC, Accra 2026, have also undergone a refresher course in readiness for the event. 

Facilitators, including Physical instructor, Chief Supt. Bawah Alhassan; Director of Sports at KNUST, Dr Timothy Mensah, and the National Deputy PE Coordinator,  Ghana Education Service, Cynthia Wise, took participants through different drills, paying particular attention to focused areas for the championship.

The four-day event saw participants going through a series of test cases, theoretical and practical, in a bid to upgrade their knowledge and skills with current standards, trends and requirements for such high profile events.