Ghana’s Chef de Mission (CDM) for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), Evans Yeboah, has returned from a key operational engagement in Senegal with a concrete action plan to guide the country’s preparations for Africa’s first-ever Youth Olympic Games, scheduled for October 31 to November 13.
Yeboah participated in the official Chefs de Mission Seminar hosted by the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee (YOGOC) on April 9 and 10, bringing together over 200 National Olympic Committees from around the world. Following the seminar, he held discussions with officials at the Ghana High Commission in Senegal to translate the operational guidelines into practical arrangements for the Ghanaian contingent, covering venue logistics, athlete welfare protocols, and consular support.
An inspection tour of the three host zones, Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly, confirmed that Senegal’s infrastructure is ready. The Athletes’ Village in Diamniadio features dedicated team spaces, medical services, and dining facilities, while competition venues across all 25 sports have been upgraded and positioned close to the village to reduce travel time for athletes. The Train Express Regional (TER) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) networks connect all three zones.
Yeboah, who served as CDM at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires and has led Ghanaian delegations at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, briefed the High Commission on the official Games programme. The agenda centres on athlete development through competition, the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP), and cultural exchange activities.
“The Youth Olympic Games are intentionally structured to cultivate the whole person,” Yeboah said. “Our objective is to ensure that Ghana’s young representatives return home not only as competitors but as changemakers and global ambassadors, fully embodying the Olympic spirit of Excellence, Friendship, and Respect.”
The Games will bring together more than 3,000 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees competing across 25 disciplines, including mixed-gender events designed to promote international unity.
Ghana’s Chef de Mission office will coordinate closely with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), national sports federations, and the Ghana High Commission in Senegal in the months ahead.
