Ghana’s future athletics stars put up a stirring performance at the 2026 CAA Region II U18/U20 Athletics Championships in Dakar, Senegal, over the weekend, grabbing gold in both Men’s 400m competitions, as well as recording a number of personal bests across the board on Day One.
Led by Coach Dramani Abdul Wahabur, Ghana’s young athletes delivered outstanding performances and represented the country with pride, passion and excellence on the regional stage, making the nation proud with two gold and four silver medals.
The 19-year-old Okomfo Anokye SHS star, Godfred Opoku, blazed to a time of 46.25 seconds to win the Men’s U-20 400m race, while Ashanti Regional Schools Sports 400m champion Blessed Junior Owusu, 15, took the U-18 Men’s gold in 46.74s, completing a unique double for Ghana.
Also celebrating a landmark milestone on the podium after a gruelling opening day for Africa Zone 2’s best young athletes was Janet Darkoaa, who grabbed silver in the U-20 Women’s 100m with her personal best of 11.43s (Wind: +1.4 m/s).
Ghana’s brilliance in the sprints was also reflected in silver medals for both U20 Men’s and Women’s 4×100m Relay teams in impressive times of 40.76s and 46.98s, respectively, to add to the nation’s impressive opening day count.
Rising female sprint sensation Aishatu Jaffar, alias Odo Broni, 16, and T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School – Kumasi teammate Adelaide Fosuah also finished 4th in 11.90s and 5th in 11.97 in the U18 Women’s 100m event, respectively, both personal bests.
On day two yesterday, double African Youth Games medallist Christiana Eghan leapt to silver after recording an impressive 12.05m against a -1.5 m/s headwind in the U-18 Women’s Triple Jump.
The regional event offered an important platform for Ghana’s next generation of elite athletes to compete and develop against the region’s best while gaining invaluable international experience. With the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics on the horizon, the road to greatness has boldly been established by Ghana’s future champions.
“Congratulations to all our athletes and coaches for their outstanding performances. Your hard work, determination, and commitment continue to raise the flag of Ghana high," said a Ghana Athletics statement on Sunday.
Meanwhile, other Ghanaian athletes scheduled to compete to increase Ghana’s medal count include Albert Kwaku Gyabaa Komtoh (U-20 – Triple Jump) and Bossman Kusi Appiah (U-20 – 400m Hurdles).
