Ghana’s Obapomba Adu-Mintah has made history at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, becoming the first Ghanaian badminton player to record a victory at the Olympic Games.
The young shuttler achieved the milestone after defeating Mauritius’ Leo Douce 2-1 in a three-game encounter in the men’s singles Group B competition at the Dakar Arena in Diamniadio on Tuesday, November 3.
Adu-Mintah’s victory came after two challenging opening matches against Iran’s Amirali Ahmadloo and Rithik Rasamsetti of the United States.
Despite the difficult start to his campaign, the Ghanaian remained determined and returned stronger against Douce, showing resilience and composure to secure his historic win.
The victory marks a significant moment for Ghana badminton and highlights the progress being made in developing young talents capable of competing at the highest level.
Speaking after the match, Adu-Mintah described the victory as a dream come true and thanked everyone who has supported his journey.
“Winning a match at the Youth Olympic Games is a dream come true. The first two matches were tough, but I kept believing in myself and in the work my High-Performance coaches and I have put in.
“This win is for everyone back home in Ghana who supports badminton. This is only the beginning, and I want to keep improving and represent my country and win at all bigger stages,” he said.
President of the Ghana Badminton Association and Team Ghana Chef de Mission, Evans Yeboah, described the achievement as a proud milestone for the sport in the country.
“Obapomba’s victory is a proud milestone for Ghana badminton. It shows what our young athletes can achieve when talent meets hard work, good coaching and the right support.
“We will build on this moment to strengthen our development programmes and give more young Ghanaians the chance to compete and win on the world stage,” Yeboah stated.
He further commended the young shuttler for his determination, noting that his ability to learn from difficult matches and return stronger demonstrated the character required to succeed at the international level.
Adu-Mintah’s achievement is particularly significant as Dakar 2026 marks the first time an Olympic event has been staged on African soil.
The badminton player also earned the honour of leading Ghana’s delegation as flagbearer during the opening ceremony at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium, carrying the national flag during the parade of nations.
His victory adds to Team Ghana’s notable moments at the Games, including the beach volleyball pair of Justice Adusei Amoafo and Daniel Lartey reaching the Round of 16, alongside personal-best performances in swimming.
The Ghana Olympic Committee has congratulated Adu-Mintah, his coaches and the Ghana Badminton Association on the historic achievement, while expressing appreciation to the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, partners and supporters for their continued support of Team Ghana.
