Author: Victoria Kwofie
Team Ghana made a strong statement on the opening day of the 2025 CAA Region II Senior Athletics Championship at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium, sweeping seven medals across track and field events. The medals included 1 gold, two silvers, and four bronzes, with standout performances in the men’s discus, 100m sprint, and relay events.
Rexford Bugase clinched Ghana’s only gold of the day with an impressive throw of 51 meters in the discus. After his triumph, Bugase credited his extra hours of training for the victory; “my last competition was not good with the results, so I had to put in more work, extra training hours, and it has paid off today by winning this gold. I will continue the hard work until I get to bigger competitions and end on a podium for Ghana.”
Arthur Kevin Paintsil followed with a silver medal in the men’s 100 meters, clocking 10.63 seconds in a race that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Reflecting on his performance, Paintsil admitted he had to adjust after a shaky start in the heats; “when I ran in the prelims, I wasn’t paying attention, I didn’t drive at all. I spoke to my coaches, and they told me, ‘Just do you, do what you’ve been doing all year.’ So I remembered all the training I put in, especially block starts and being aggressive from the beginning. It all came together today. I’m happy with the execution and how close I came to winning.”
Paintsil also touched on the fierce rivalry that fuels West African athletics, particularly between Ghana and Nigeria; “the rivalry is definitely good for the sport. You have two Nigerians on your left, and in your head, all you can think about is, ‘I can’t lose to a Nigerian.’ It makes it exciting, and it pushes you to give your very best.”
Looking beyond Accra, Paintsil expressed his long-term ambitions to establish himself as a key figure for Team Ghana; “prior to this, my goal was to run fast enough to the point where Ghana Athletics could not oppose me joining the relay camp. I’ve always wanted to run for Ghana. Last year, I just came short because the guys ahead of me were better, but this year, I knew this is where I needed to be. I want to run at the highest level for Team Ghana, and I hope Ghana recognizes that and gives me the opportunity. Yes, LA 2028 is a target, and I’ll do whatever I need to do to get there.”
Meanwhile, Ghana’s men’s 4×100 relay team Sarfo Ansah, Arthur Kevin Paintsil, Edwin Gadayi, and Shaibu Marizuk added another silver, while Jennifer Anani claimed bronze in the women’s 5000 meters. Agnes Agyei secured bronze in the triple jump, and the women’s 4×100 relay team of Kusime Diamond, Zeinab Awuni, Janet Mensah, and Aisha Ibrahim finished with bronze, and also Portia Boakye with bronze in 800 meter, rounding off a fruitful day one for Ghana.