Two student-athletes and two coaches have been handpicked to carry Ghana’s early ambitions for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, earning spots in a high-performance training camp in Nairobi, widely regarded as one of the world’s most competitive athletics hubs.
St Louis Senior High School’s Gladys ‘Gaza’ Boateng and Blessed Owusu of St Hubert Senior High School, whose recent performances in the 2026 Ashanti Super Zonals have marked them out as prospects for the global stage. They will be guided by seasoned school coaches, Mustapha Ibrahim and Francisca Azumah, in a deliberate blend of youth and experience.
The week-long programme, which runs from April 5 to April 12, 2026, is more than just a training camp. Competing and training in Kenya, a country synonymous with long-distance dominance, offers Ghana’s young athletes exposure to elite methods, intense competition, and a culture where athletics is a way of life.
At a brief ceremony in Accra, Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, urged the athletes to stay disciplined and focused, describing the opportunity as both a privilege and a responsibility.
Ghana Olympic Committee President Richard Akpokavie and Ghana Athletics boss Bawah Fuseini also backed the initiative, signalling stronger institutional support for youth development.
Officials are framing the initiative as a shift in approach. Rather than last-minute preparations, Ghana is building early, identifying talent at the senior high school level and plugging them into international systems ahead of the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal.
