Dakar Opens Africa’s First Olympic Event, a Youth Games Full of Firsts
The 2026 Youth Olympic Games open on Saturday in the Senegalese capital, the first Olympic event ever held on African soil.
About 2,665 athletes aged 14 to 17 will compete across 25 sports and 153 medal events. The opening ceremony takes place in the evening at Diamniadio, with 136 Senegalese athletes taking part and about 6,000 Senegalese volunteers supporting the Games. Competition runs until 13 November across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, and the Games were originally due in 2022 but were postponed because of Covid-19.
The Games also carry two notable firsts. They are the first Olympic event since Russia’s 2022 attacks on Ukraine to allow Russian athletes to compete under their national flag. A Refugee Olympic Team makes its debut at a Youth Olympics: six young athletes from East Africa will compete in athletics, judo and taekwondo, mentored by marathon great Eliud Kipchoge.
Ten additional “engagement” sports, including golf, karate and surfing, will be staged without medals to encourage local participation. Senegal, known for its football team, traditional wrestling and surf scene, has covered the capital with signs reading “Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates”.
