Senegal made history on Saturday as President Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially opened the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, marking the first time the international youth sporting event has been held on African soil.
The opening ceremony took place on 31 October at the 50,000-capacity Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, featuring 1,115 performers, including 628 dancers, in a celebration of Senegalese culture and African heritage.
The fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games runs until 13 November, bringing together approximately 2,650 athletes aged 14 to 17 from 204 National Olympic Committees, alongside the Refugee Olympic Team.
Dakar follows three previous host cities: Singapore in 2010, Nanjing in China in 2014 and Buenos Aires in Argentina in 2018. Senegal was selected to host the 2026 edition at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Buenos Aires in October 2018.
The sporting programme features 25 competition sports and 153 medal events, alongside 10 engagement sports. Competitions are taking place across three locations: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
Dakar 2026 is also the first edition of the Youth Olympic Games to achieve full gender parity across athlete quota places, sports, disciplines and events. The programme includes 73 women’s events, 73 men’s events and seven mixed events.
Another milestone is the participation of a six-member Refugee Olympic Team, comprising athletes based in Africa. It is the first time a Refugee Olympic Team has competed at the Youth Olympic Games.
“Hosting the first Youth Olympic Games in Africa is a historic milestone for Senegal and the continent. Dakar 2026 provides an opportunity to welcome young athletes from across the world, showcase Africa’s sporting talent and cultural heritage, and inspire a new generation to participate in sport. We hope the Games will leave a lasting legacy by creating greater opportunities for young people and strengthening the development of sport across the continent,” the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee said.
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Author: Karren Franco from AETOSWire on behalf of Dakar 2026.
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