By: Madi Seneghore
Gambian athletes produced encouraging performances at the 2026 African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana, with several competitors delivering notable results against some of the continent’s top athletes.
The participation of Team Gambia at the continental championship was fully funded by the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC), underlining the institution’s commitment to the development of athletics in the country.
Leading the Gambian contingent was Commonwealth Games-bound sprinter Nyimasata Jawneh, who finished fourth in the Women’s 200m final with a time of 23.67 seconds, narrowly missing out on a medal.
Jawneh also competed in the Women’s 100m event, recording 11.80 seconds, although the time was insufficient to qualify for the final.
Fellow Gambian sprinter Isatou Sey also impressed during the competition. Sey clocked 11.85 seconds in the Women’s 100m semifinals but narrowly missed qualification for the final.
In the Women’s 200m event, however, Sey was disqualified for a false start after showing promise in the earlier rounds.
Young athlete Sainey Kijera made her debut appearance at the championships in the Women’s 400m heats, where she recorded a time of 57.62 seconds.
Although she did not progress to the next round, her performance was considered a positive step in her development at continental level.
In the men’s category, Ansu Badgie represented The Gambia in the Men’s 200m and clocked 23.00 seconds.
Team Gambia also secured a sixth-place finish in the Women’s 4x100m relay final with a time of 45.02 seconds.
The GNOC provided more than half a million dalasis to the Gambia Athletics Association to support the athletes’ travel and preparations for the championships.