Ghanaian track and field athletes have expressed their frustration on social media regarding the treatment of the tartan tracks at the University of Ghana Stadium during the WAFU B U-17 tournament.

These tracks, installed for the 2023 African Games, are the only certified running tracks in the country. Athletes are concerned about the damage caused by placing sharp-edged chairs on the home straight side of the track during the Ghana vs Côte d’Ivoire opening game on Wednesday. The lack of protective covers could lead to perforations, potentially compromising the track’s certification status.

Joseph Paul Amoah, a gold medalist in the 200m, voiced his frustration on Instagram, stating, “That’s our only certified track for Christ’s sake.” Fellow athlete Ibrahim Fuseini, who placed fourth in the men’s 200m final at the African Games, added, “It’s about time we need to stop doing this. This is the only track we have in Ghana now,” accompanied by a crying emoji. Solomon Hammond, a member of the silver-winning 4x100m relay team, also expressed his dismay, saying, “This can’t be happening on the only certified track we have in Ghana now,” ending with a sad face emoji.