Ghanaian sprinter Abdul-Rasheed Saminu has criticised the Ministry of Sports and Recreation over what he described as poor travel arrangements for the national men’s 4×100 metres relay team ahead of the World Relays in Botswana.
Saminu’s criticism came despite the team’s strong performance, which saw Ghana qualify for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing after clocking 38.09 seconds.
In a social media post, Saminu said the relay team had to endure a 14-hour flight followed by a 16-hour layover, leaving them with little time to recover before competing.
“Running with jet lag, with no proper recovery,” he wrote.
He questioned why athletics teams often face such challenges while other national teams, especially in football, appear to receive better planning and support.
“If it was the Black Stars, flight tickets would be ready months prior to their game,” Saminu stated.
He then delivered a direct message to the Sports Ministry, saying: “The Ministry of Sports in Ghana needs to do better, don’t set us up for failure.”
The Ministry of Sports in Ghana needs to better, don’t set us for failure. If it was “black stars” flights tickets will be ready month prior to their game. 14hrs flight 16hrs lay over is not acceptable for professional athletes. We running with jet lag,no proper recovery.
— Saminu Abdul Rasheed (@rasheed_saminu) May 3, 2026
Another member of the relay team, Benjamin Azamati, also took to social media to express his frustration, posting a short message to the Ministry: “Do better.”
To add to that, we’re competing against guys who’ve been here 1–3 weeks while we’ve been traveling since Wednesday and arriving a day before on a new continent.
— AzaR (@benjaminazamati) May 3, 2026
I get it, I guess we’re magicians.
Do better, Sports Ministry! https://t.co/PtbtM4hMVU
The comments have triggered renewed debate over athlete welfare and the treatment of track and field athletes in Ghana, especially when compared with football.
Despite the difficult travel conditions, Ghana’s qualification for Beijing 2027 marks a major achievement for the sprint team and the country’s athletics programme.
The controversy, however, has shifted attention to whether Ghana’s sports authorities are doing enough to support athletes with proper logistics, recovery time and preparation ahead of major international competitions.
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