Weeds Overrun $145m Borteyman Sports Complex two years after African Games

Two years after Ghana spent US$145 million to build the Borteyman Sports Complex for the 13th African Games, weeds have overtaken parts of the multi-sport facility — in some places growing taller than the perimeter fence.  

A visit by The Fourth Estate to the sprawling complex on Sunday, July 5, 2026, paints a picture that contrasts with the fanfare that accompanied its commissioning ahead of the African Games in March 2024.

In its dormant period, many of the facilities remain locked, while nature takes over major sporting infrastructure, including a swimming pool complex, athletic tracks, children’s playground, tennis and volleyball courts.

The Borteyman Sports Complex alone consumed US$145.1 million out of US$170 million that the Akufo-Addo administration borrowed from CAL Bank Ghana as part of the funds to finance the 13^th African Games. It was constructed by Contracta Construction UK Limited.

The Complex has facilities including an aquatic centre, which houses a 1,000-seat swimming pool, an eight-lane warm-up pool, a 1,000-seat multi-purpose sports hall, and a 500-seat dome. It also has a five-court tennis complex with a collapsible 1,000-seat centre court, access roads, utility infrastructure, parking lots, an administration block, a children’s park, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure.

However, during a visit to the complex, The Fourth Estate observed that the Aquatic Centre, Athletics Track, Tennis Centre, Multi-purpose Dome, and children’s playground were all surrounded by overgrown weeds. The weeds have also invaded the pedestrian walkways and open spaces, with some of the weeds growing taller than the facility’s perimeter wall.

There was no sign of any sporting activity in the Complex in spite of the huge public investment that went into it,. The Akufo-Addo administration had planned to turn it into a sports university. 

When the project was conceived, the government presented it as infrastructure that would not only host the African Games but also serve generations of Ghanaian athletes by expanding access to world-class sporting facilities.

Two years after the games ended, the Complex instead shows visible signs of neglect, with weeds showing dominance rather than sporting activities.

The maintenance of the facility is the responsibility of the National Sports Authority.