Ghana’s youngest Commonwealth cyclist faces race against time to fund LA 2028 dream

Ghanaian track cyclist Farrakhan Shaaban Mohammed, the country’s youngest rider and its youngest-ever Commonwealth Games cyclist, has issued a public appeal for sponsorship to help him take up a scholarship at Derby University in the United Kingdom and pursue qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Mohammed, 19, made the call in an exclusive interview with Graphic Sports at the newspaper’s office in Accra last Friday.

In August 2026, Mohammed represented Ghana in the track cycling event at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland — his first appearance at the Games and, he says, a historic one as the youngest Ghanaian cyclist ever to compete at the event.

“I did my best to put Ghana on the map. I will say the competition was tough, but we did our best,” he said.

That appearance came on the back of performances at the Tour du Ghana and the African Championships, which Mohammed believes show he has the potential to make a serious impact at LA 2028.

“My biggest goal is LA 2028. That will be one of my biggest achievements in my cycling career,” he said. “This journey requires a lot of intake — modernised equipment, a good training programme, good coaching, proper camping and good supervision.”

Derby University has offered him a scholarship to study while training towards the Games. According to Mohammed, the university is prepared to provide the high-performance environment he needs: coaching, a structured training programme and equipment.

“The school is ready to help me to qualify for LA 2028. I see it as a bigger opportunity for me to qualify,” he said.

But the offer comes with a funding gap. Mohammed needs financial support for his upkeep, part payment of his school fees and travel to Derby. With the academic year beginning in September and January, he said he has no firm approval yet to leave for the UK.

“The school is ready to offer everything in terms of coaching, best training programme and equipment for my qualification to LA 2028. Now funding to Derby, UK, is the problem,” he said.

He is urging corporate Ghana and individual sponsors to back his journey.

“I am calling on sponsorship across Ghana to help me in this cycling journey. I am eager to put up all my best to put Ghana on the map in LA 2028. I will do all it takes to make Ghanaians proud,” Mohammed said.

His situation reflects a familiar challenge for Ghanaian athletes in niche sports, where international opportunities often depend on private support and personal sacrifice. For Mohammed, the coming months will determine whether his Commonwealth Games appearance becomes the launchpad for an Olympic bid — or a missed chance.