Ghana’s national 100 metres record-holder, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, has pushed back strongly against critics amid growing controversy over the treatment of national athletes, insisting that competitors receive no financial reward for representing the country.
The sprinter’s comments come in the wake of tensions surrounding Ghana’s 4x100m relay team, which recently secured automatic qualification for the World Athletics Championships 2027. Despite the achievement, attention has shifted to concerns raised by athletes over conditions leading up to the World Relays in Gaborone.
Members of the relay team had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with how they were handled prior to the competition in Botswana, sparking public debate and scrutiny.
As criticism mounted—particularly online—Saminu took to social media platform X to defend both his integrity and that of his teammates. In a post that was later deleted, he dismissed claims that he had delayed travel arrangements and used the moment to highlight what he described as long-standing systemic issues.
“We don’t earn anything representing Ghana, and I never missed my flight,” he wrote. “My flight change is a big lie. I’m not a latecomer. The same thing has been going on for decades.”
His remarks have intensified conversations around athlete welfare, funding, and administrative support within Ghana’s athletics ecosystem, with many weighing in on whether the country is doing enough to support its elite competitors.
Despite the ongoing controversy, Saminu remains in line to represent Ghana at the upcoming Africa Senior Athletics Championships 2026, scheduled to begin on May 12 in Accra.
The situation underscores a recurring tension between performance on the track and conditions off it—raising fresh questions about how Ghana’s athletes are supported even as they continue to deliver results on the international stage.
