Stephen Oduro Jnr stands as one of two Ghanaian track athletes selected to compete at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first edition of the event ever staged on African soil. The multi-sport competition runs from 31 October to 13 November 2026 across three host zones in Senegal—Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly—and will bring together approximately 2,700 athletes aged primarily 15 to 18 from around the world for 153 events in 25 sports.
Ghana’s official 13-athlete contingent, announced by the Ghana Olympic Committee in mid-September 2026, spans eight disciplines: athletics, badminton, boxing, beach volleyball, judo, swimming, table tennis and taekwondo. The athletes, aged between 13 and 17, secured their places through qualification pathways administered by their respective international federations.
Evans Yeboah serves as Chef de Mission. In athletics, Oduro Jnr will contest the men’s 400 m hurdles while Mary Coffie competes in the women’s 400 m hurdles. Athletics events are scheduled at Stade Iba Mar Diop in Dakar.
The selection of Oduro Jnr reflects Ghana’s emphasis on developing young talent in technical events such as the hurdles, where rhythm, technique and endurance over one full lap are decisive.
Both he and Coffie have been training at the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, the designated national preparation base, as the team finalises its readiness in the weeks leading up to departure. The facility has hosted the full contingent as they convert qualification success into competitive sharpness.
Ghana has participated in every previous Summer Youth Olympic Games—Singapore 2010, Nanjing 2014 and Buenos Aires 2018—but has only one medal to its name: the gold won by Martha Bissah in the women’s 800 m at the inaugural edition. The 2026 squad therefore carries a clear objective of ending a long wait for another podium finish while representing the country at a landmark continental Olympic event.
Dakar 2026 itself carries historic weight. Originally planned for 2022 and postponed due to the global disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Games mark the first time any Olympic event has been held in Africa. The programme features full gender parity, a Refugee Olympic Team, and the Olympic debut of sports such as baseball5 and wushu. Competition venues are distributed to leave a lasting infrastructure legacy in Senegal, with the Youth Olympic Village located in Diamniadio.
For Oduro Jnr and the wider Ghanaian group, the Games offer more than individual results. They provide high-level international exposure at a formative stage of athletic development, experience competing under Olympic protocols, and the chance to return as role models.
