Thirteen Ghanaian athletes will represent the country at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, which begin on Saturday, October 31, marking the first time an Olympic sporting event is being held on African soil.
Ghana’s first event will be the men’s beach volleyball preliminary match against Australia on Saturday, with Justice Adusei Amoafo and Daniel Lartey in action.
The Games run until November 13 and will feature approximately 2,700 athletes competing across 25 sports, with 153 medal events scheduled.
Ghana will compete in eight disciplines: athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, judo, swimming, table tennis and taekwondo.
The athletics team comprises Mary Coffie and Stephen Oduro Jnr, who will compete in the women’s and men’s 400m hurdles, respectively.
Andy Amofa will represent Ghana in men’s singles badminton, while Justice Adusei Amoafo and Daniel Lartey will compete in men’s beach volleyball.
Robert Amartey Tagoe will feature in the men’s 70kg boxing category, with Bernice Mawena Akakpo representing Ghana in the women’s -63kg judo event.
Swimming has the largest Ghanaian contingent, with four athletes competing across multiple events. Kelvin Abdallah will feature in the men’s 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle, while Mercedes Abdallah will compete in the women’s 100m backstroke, 100m butterfly and 50m backstroke.
Tamba Akin Boamah will contest the men’s 100m and 200m breaststroke, 100m freestyle and 50m backstroke. Jada Christiana Yankey will compete in the women’s 100m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle.
Joanita Borteye will represent Ghana in women’s singles table tennis, while Jessica Mensah competes in the women’s +63kg taekwondo category.
The Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) has named beach volleyball player Daniel Lamptey as captain of Team Ghana, with table tennis player Joanita Borteye appointed deputy captain. Badminton player Obapomba Adu-Mintah will serve as the team’s flag bearer.
Ghana has won just one medal across the three previous editions of the Youth Olympic Games. Martha Bissah secured that achievement in 2014, winning gold in the women’s 800m at the Games in Nanjing, China.
Dakar 2026 marks a historic milestone, with Senegal becoming the first African country to host an Olympic sporting event. Competitions will take place in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. The 13 athletes will be hoping to build on Bissah’s achievement and add to Ghana’s medal tally.
