Ghana sprint star Abdul-Rasheed Saminu has publicly 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 their competition in Botswana.
In a post shared on X, the relay team member expressed frustration over the team’s journey, claiming the athletes were being set up for failure due to exhausting travel plans and inadequate preparation time before competing.
“The Ministry of Sports in Ghana needs to do better, don’t set us up for failure,” Saminu wrote.
He added that if it were the Black Stars, flight tickets would have been arranged a month before their game, contrasting the treatment of football and athletics in Ghana.
According to Saminu, the team had to endure a 14-hour flight followed by a 16-hour layover before arriving at their destination.
“14hrs flight 16hrs lay over is not acceptable for professional athletes. We running with jet lag, no proper recovery,” he stated.
The comments are likely to reignite debate over support for lesser-funded sports in Ghana, with athletes in disciplines outside football often raising concerns about poor logistics, delayed allowances and inadequate preparation for international events.
Saminu is one of Ghana’s leading sprinters and a key member of the men’s relay team, which recently secured qualification for another World Athletics Championships appearance.
Despite these setbacks, the relay team delivered a strong performance to secure qualification, marking Ghana’s fourth appearance in the men’s 4x100m relay at the World Athletics Championships.
There has been no immediate response from the Ministry of Sports and Recreation regarding the athlete’s remarks.
