South African athlete Marlie Viljoen says conditions at the ongoing 2026 African Athletics Championships in Accra have improved following criticism during the opening days of the competition.
Her comments follow concerns raised earlier by fellow South African athlete Aiden Smith, who criticised aspects of accommodation and food arrangements at the championships being held at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.
Smith’s remarks prompted a response from Gayton McKenzie, who stated that alternative accommodation had been arranged for the South African contingent. However, the athletes reportedly decided to remain at the University of Ghana hostel facilities for the remainder of the tournament.
The controversy emerged after complaints that athletes were receiving insufficient food and facing difficult living conditions during the early stages of the six-day championship.
Speaking to Joy Sports after competing in the women’s 400m final on Thursday, Viljoen acknowledged that the conditions were not ideal but indicated that organisers had made notable improvements in recent days.
According to her, food services had significantly improved, particularly over the previous two days, adding that the meals provided on Wednesday night were of much better quality.
Viljoen also suggested that all participating athletes were competing under similar conditions and stressed the importance of remaining focused on performance despite logistical challenges.
Beyond accommodation concerns, the competition initially faced technical disruptions that affected both athletes and journalists covering the event.
For the first two days of the championships, delays in publishing race results and entry lists created frustration after the official event website experienced operational problems.
However, organisers appeared to have resolved many of the technical issues by Thursday, with race results being displayed on stadium screens shortly after events concluded.
The championships continue through the weekend, with competition scheduled to run until Sunday in Accra.
