Senegal has become the centre of global sporting attention as it hosts the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first edition of the competition to be staged on African soil.
The Games, which run from October 31 to November 13, officially opened on Saturday with a colourful ceremony at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio. Thousands of young athletes from across the world are competing, with Ghana among the nations hoping to make a strong impression.
Ghana is represented by 13 athletes across eight disciplines: athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, judo, swimming, table tennis and taekwondo. Beach volleyball player Daniel Lartey has been named captain of Team Ghana, with table tennis player Joanita Borteye serving as deputy captain. Badminton athlete Obapomba Adu-Mintah has also been selected as the country’s flag bearer. The athletics team comprises Mary Coffie and Stephen Oduro Jnr, while Justice Adusei Amoafo joins Lartey in beach volleyball. Andy Amofa represents Ghana in badminton, Robert Amartey Tagoe in boxing and Bernice Mawena Akakpo in judo.
Swimming has the largest representation, with Kelvin Abdallah, Mercedes Abdallah, Tamba Akin Boamah and Jada Christiana Yankey carrying Ghana’s hopes. Borteye will compete in women’s table tennis, while Jessica Mensah completes the contingent in the women’s +63kg taekwondo category. Borteye arrives with encouraging continental experience after winning the Under-15 mixed doubles title at the 2026 ITTF-Africa Youth Championships in Accra, making her one of the athletes to watch in Senegal.
Dakar 2026 marks Ghana’s fourth appearance at the Youth Olympic Games, following previous participation in Singapore in 2010, Nanjing in 2014 and Buenos Aires in 2018. The country’s most memorable outing came in 2014 when Martha Bissah won gold in the women’s 800 metres. Her achievement remains Ghana’s only medal in the competition, and the current generation will be hoping to end that wait and add another medal to the country’s record.
The challenge, however, will be considerable, with some of the world’s most promising young talents competing across the various disciplines. Ghana’s hopes will rest on the athletes’ ability to remain composed, compete with confidence and make the most of their opportunities. The beach volleyball pair, athletics representatives and Borteye will be among those looking to produce notable performances, while the other disciplines also offer opportunities for Ghana to make an impression.
Beyond the medal ambitions, the competition presents a valuable opportunity for Ghana’s young athletes to gain international exposure and take important steps towards bigger sporting stages. With Martha Bissah’s historic triumph still serving as the country’s benchmark, the expectation is that this new generation will rise to the occasion. For the 13 athletes in Senegal, the mission is simple: represent Ghana with pride, compete fearlessly and hopefully return home with a new chapter in the nation’s Youth Olympic history.
By Alhassan Abdullah
