Ghana is set to make another appearance at the Youth Olympic Games with a 13-member team selected to compete in multiple disciplines at the 2026 Games in Dakar, Senegal.
The Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) said the contingent would compete in nine sporting disciplines as the country seeks to build on its participation in previous editions of the global youth competition.
The Dakar Games, scheduled for October 31 to November 13, will be the first Olympic event to be hosted on African soil under the theme, “Africa Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates.”
According to a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, Ghana’s young athletes will compete in athletics, badminton, boxing, beach volleyball, judo, taekwondo, table tennis and swimming.
The GOC said it had completed key administrative preparations for the delegation and was working with stakeholders to ensure the team was adequately prepared for the competition.
“With 50 days to the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, the GOC is working closely with the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, national sports federations, and corporate partners to finalize pre-games training schedules, delegation logistics, and official send-off arrangements in Accra ahead of team departure,” it said.
Targeting second Youth Olympic medal
Ghana will enter the Dakar Games with an opportunity to improve its record at the Youth Olympics, having secured just one medal since first participating in the competition in 2010.
The country has featured at all three previous editions — Singapore 2010, Nanjing 2014 and Buenos Aires 2018.
Its only medal came through Martha Bissah, who won gold in the women’s 800 metres, making her Ghana’s sole Youth Olympic champion.
The GOC is therefore hoping the latest generation of young athletes can end the country’s medal drought and create a new chapter in Ghana’s Youth Olympic history.
The Olympic body has appealed to Corporate Ghana, sports enthusiasts and the general public to support the contingent as preparations intensify ahead of their departure for Senegal.
The Games will provide Ghana’s emerging athletes with an opportunity to compete against some of the world’s best young sporting talents while gaining valuable international experience.
