Jordan names 13 athletes for eight sports at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games
Published By Regional Desk
Jordan’s record‑breaking squad for Dakar 2026
Jordan is preparing for its largest ever participation in the Youth Olympic Games measured by the number of sports it will contest. The fourth edition of the Games, to be held in Dakar, Senegal from 31 October to 13 November, will see 13 Jordanian male and female athletes competing in eight different disciplines. This matches the athlete total achieved at the 2018 Buenos Aires edition and represents the widest spread of sports in the country’s Youth Olympic history.
Sport‑by‑sport line‑up and coaching staff
Jordan will field competitors in taekwondo, boxing, swimming, beach wrestling, athletics, fencing, triathlon and judo. In taekwondo, Layan Al‑Rawashdeh, Zainab Basayleh, Abdullah Al‑Zawahreh and Ahmad Al‑Dahamsheh will take part under technical director Fares Al‑Assaf and coach Mohammad Al‑Assaf. Boxing entries are Abdullah Toghoz and Tala Hussein, guided by coach Omar Al‑Majali. The swimming squad consists of Michael Al‑War and Serena Mihyar, coached by Mohammad Al‑Radaydeh. Adam Abu Fara’a will represent Jordan in beach wrestling under the guidance of coach Yahya Abu Tbeikh. Athletics runner Qusai Al‑Ramadeen will compete under coach Ata Al‑Balawi, while fencer Celine Abu Obeid is coached by Wojciech Adrian van Barneveld. Maria Al‑Haddadin will contest the triathlon with coach Elias Nawarah, and judoka Huda Washah will be led by coach Bilal Al‑Qulaileh.
Past Youth Olympic medal record
Jordan has appeared in all three previous Youth Olympic Games, securing three medals, all in taekwondo: one silver and two bronze. Dana Haidar earned silver at the inaugural Games in Singapore in 2010, the same edition in which Yazan Al‑Sadiq claimed bronze. Zaid Mustafa added Jordan’s third bronze medal at the 2018 edition in Buenos Aires.
Overview of the Dakar 2026 Games
The fourth Youth Olympic Games were initially planned for 2022 but were postponed to 2026 because of the COVID‑19 pandemic. Organisers expect roughly 2,700 athletes from across the globe to take part in 25 sports. The Dakar edition will mark the first time an Olympic event is hosted by the African continent.
