The Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) has officially confirmed that Team Ghana will take part in the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, sending a contingent of rising young athletes to represent the country at what organisers are calling a landmark moment for the continent.
The Games are scheduled to run from October 31 to November 13, 2026, under the official theme “Africa Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates.” The edition carries particular historical weight: it will be the first Olympic event ever hosted on African soil, gathering the world’s finest elite youth athletes, aged between 15 and 18, for two weeks of continental celebration and competition.
According to the GOC, Team Ghana has officially qualified to compete across eight distinct sporting disciplines, fielding thirteen athletes in a display of the country’s diverse, rising multi-sport talent on the international stage.
Qualification across the disciplines was secured through the established pathways of the respective International Federations, a process that has been in place since 2024 and included technical assessments and oversight from both the international bodies and Ghana’s national sports federations.
Summary
Host City: Dakar, Senegal
Dates: October 31 – November 13, 2026
Theme: “Africa Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates”
Athlete Age Range: 15–18 years
Team Ghana Squad Size: 13 athletes
Disciplines: Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Beach Volleyball, Judo, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Swimming
Chef de Mission: Mr. Evans Yeboah, President of Ghana Badminton
On the basis of this qualification, the GOC says it has finalised administrative frameworks to ensure Team Ghana is well-prepared, fully kitted, and logistically supported for what it describes as a monumental and continentally organised global showcase.
Experienced Leadership at the Helm
Team Ghana’s Dakar 2026 delegation will be led by Mr. Evans Yeboah in the role of Chef de Mission. Mr. Yeboah, who also serves as President of Ghana Badminton, brings extensive multi-sport games leadership experience to the assignment, having previously led and supported Team Ghana delegations at several major international multi-sport events, including the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Fifty Days to Dakar
With fifty days remaining before the start of the Youth Olympic Games, the GOC says it is working closely with the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, national sports federations, and corporate partners to finalise pre-Games training schedules, delegation logistics, and official send-off arrangements in Accra ahead of the team’s departure.
The Committee has called on corporate Ghana, sports enthusiasts, and the general public to rally behind Team Ghana as the nation’s rising stars prepare for their journey to Dakar, with the aim of flying the national flag high and making history.
A Consistent Olympic Presence
Ghana has participated in all three editions of the Youth Olympic Games held since the competition’s inception, having featured at the inaugural 2010 Games in Singapore, the 2014 edition in Nanjing, China, and the 2018 Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Dakar 2026 will mark the country’s fourth consecutive appearance at the youth multi-sport event, and its first on home continental soil.