By: Francis Ofori
Accra, Sept. 17, GNA – Ghana is set to make its mark at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, with 13 promising young athletes set to make history from October 31 to November 13.
The competition would be the first Youth Olympic Games to be staged on the African soil, offering Ghana’s talents a major platform to test themselves against some of the world’s best young athletes.
The selected athletes secured their places through qualification pathways administered by their respective International Federations.
In athletics, Mary Coffie and Stephen Oduro Jnr would compete in the women’s and men’s 400m hurdles respectively, while Andy Amofa would also carry Ghana’s hopes in men’s singles badminton.
Team Ghana’s beach volleyball campaign would feature Justice Adusei Amoafo and Daniel Lartey, while Robert Amartey Tagoe would represent the country in the men’s 70kg boxing division.
The rest are Bernice Mawena Akakpo (Judo), Jessica Mensah ( Taekwondo), Kelvin Abdallah (Swimming), Mercedes Abdallah (Swimming), Tamba Akin Boamah (Swimming), Jada Christiana Yankey (Swimming) and Joanita Borteye (Tennis).
The young athletes will be led by Mr. Evans Yeboah, Chef de Mission for Team Ghana.
Ghana has participated in all three Youth Olympics since 2010 in Singapore, Nanjing in 2014 and Buenos Aires in 2018.
The West African giants head into the global event with one medal since its debut in 2010, courtesy of Martha Bissah’s gold in the women’s 800m.
She remains Ghana’s sole Youth Olympic champion, leaving the 13-member contingent with a clear mission to end the wait for another medal and etch a new chapter in the country’s Youth Olympic history.
Full list of athletes
Athletics
Mary Coffie — Women’s 400m Hurdles
Stephen Oduro Jnr — Men’s 400m Hurdles
Badminton
Andy Amofa — Men’s Singles
Beach Volleyball
Justice Adusei Amoafo — Men’s
Daniel Lartey — Men’s
Boxing
Robert Amartey Tagoe — Men’s 70kg
Judo
Bernice Mawena Akakpo — Women’s -63kg
Swimming
Kelvin Abdallah — Men’s 50m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly, 50m Freestyle
Mercedes Abdallah — Women’s 100m Backstroke, 100m Butterfly, 50m Backstroke
Tamba Akin Boamah — Men’s 100m Breaststroke, 100m Freestyle, 200m Breaststroke, 50m Backstroke
Jada Christiana Yankey — Women’s 100m Freestyle, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Butterfly, 50m Freestyle
Table Tennis
Joanita Borteye — Women’s Singles
Taekwondo
Jessica Mensah — Women’s +63kg
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Francis Ofori