Ghana’s Golden Arms reaffirmed their status as Africa’s undisputed armwrestling powerhouse with a breathtaking display of dominance at the 15th African Armwrestling Championships, storming to an astonishing 168 medals at the Borteyman Sports Complex over the weekend.

Backed by a passionate home crowd, Team Ghana overwhelmed the continental field across multiple weight divisions, finishing with a staggering 71 gold medals, 63 silver and 34 bronze medals to top the standings by an enormous margin.

The medal avalanche left the rest of Africa trailing in their wake. Closest challengers, Benin, managed 79 medals in total — less than half of Ghana’s tally — comprising 23 gold, 29 silver and 27 bronze medals. South Africa finished third with 16 gold medals, while Nigeria and Mali completed the top five.

The two-day championship, which attracted competitors from 22 countries, also served as a qualification platform and ranking event for the 2027 African Games in Cairo, Egypt.

Dominant display

From the opening contests last Friday, Ghana’s athletes seized control of the competition, repeatedly mounting the podium in a relentless exhibition of power, technical discipline and tactical superiority.

The Golden Arms combined raw strength with refined technique to dismantle some of the continent’s most established armwrestling nations, underlining the rapid rise of the sport in Ghana over recent years.

Leading the charge once again was evergreen star, Grace Mintah, whose consistency and experience proved decisive in Ghana’s medal sweep. She was strongly supported by standout performers, including Immigration’s Sackey, the Larkai Sisters, Raphael Lankai and Blessed Abeka Nunoo.

However, Ghana’s triumph extended beyond the competition tables. In a significant boost for the country’s growing influence in continental sports administration, Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF) President, Charles Osei Asibey, was re-elected President of the Armwrestling Federation of Africa (AFA) for another four-year term.

Meanwhile, GAF Vice-President, Dr Kofi Addo-Agyekum, was elevated to head the West African sub-region, capping a hugely successful championship for the host nation both competitively and politically.

Sports and Recreation Minister, Kofi Iddie Adams, who presented the overall trophy to Team Ghana on the final day — coincidentally his 51st birthday — hailed the athletes for their resilience, discipline and commitment.

“Congratulations to every African country. Team Ghana is the overall winner, but you all proved worthy competitors and return home as heroes in your own unique ways,” he said.

The minister also credited Ghana’s success to improved athlete development structures, sustained training programmes and increased international exposure.