Badminton, boxing power Ghana to 21-medal haul at African Youth Games
Ghana's 48-member contingent to the just-ended 2025 African Youth Games in Angola returned home last Saturday after winning an incredible 21 medals in total.
The medals underscore the country's potential in youth and sports. However, it was badminton once again that demonstrated its meteoric rise and development of potential world-class athletes, by topping the podium appearances for Team Ghana, after bagging two of Ghana's total of three gold medals.
Having also emerged as Ghana's best-performing sport at the maiden African Schools Games in Algeria earlier this year, badminton's young stars stood tallest again with six medals in total, contributing almost a third of Ghana's total haul at the games, which served as a development platform for emerging athletes and a pathway to the 2026 Youth Olympics.
The sensational pair of Andy Amofa and Adu-Mintah Obapomba led the way with gold in the Boys Doubles, while Moslena Adu and Rachael Quarcoo combined to lift the Girls Doubles gold in the continental event for Africa's future sports stars.
Ghana also added a silver and bronze in Mixed Doubles, Mixed Team Relays and Girls Singles as Rachael Quarcoo grabbed bronze.
"This is a monumental moment for Ghana Badminton. This triumph is a direct result of our quadrennial high-performance Junior Performance Plan, which is consistently yielding historic results," said Evans Yeboah, President of the Ghana Badminton Association.
Meanwhile, boxing, a sport in which Ghana traditionally excels in international competitions, remarkably had all four teenage boxers return home with a medal each.
Richardson Ofori won Ghana's 3rd gold medal in Angola after topping the Boys 60kg division, Abdul Rahman Ablorh won silver in the 55kg category, William Laryea settled for bronze after reaching the 50kg event and the only female boxer, Margaret Owoo, also settled for bronze in the Girls 48 kg division.
The country's young athletics stars were impressive as well, with one silver and three bronze medals from Mary Coffie (silver - Girls 400m hurdles), Evans Agyemang (bronze - 400m) and Christiana Eghan (bronze in both Girls triple and long jumps).
In weightlifting, sensational Naa Aku Tackey won three silver medals in Snatch, Clean and Jerk & Total, while Wasila Baba Kingsley Afful, Edward Amartey and Maxwell Ofei added a bronze medal each in canoeing, golf, karate and taekwondo.
“The team's performance reinforces the importance of continued investment in youth sports development and provides motivation for young Ghanaians to pursue excellence across diverse sporting disciplines," said Ghana Olympic Committee President Richard Akpokavie, who was personally in Angola to cheer the young stars on.
