President Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially opened the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Saturday, the first time the international youth sporting event has been staged on African soil.
The opening ceremony was held on 31 October at the 50,000-capacity Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio and featured 1,115 performers, including 628 dancers, in a programme built around Senegalese culture and African heritage.
The fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games runs until 13 November and brings together approximately 2,650 athletes aged 14 to 17 from 204 National Olympic Committees, along with the Refugee Olympic Team.
Dakar follows Singapore in 2010, Nanjing in China in 2014 and Buenos Aires in Argentina in 2018 as host cities. Senegal was selected to stage the 2026 edition at the International Olympic Committee Session in Buenos Aires in October 2018.
The sporting programme comprises 25 competition sports and 153 medal events, plus 10 engagement sports. Competition is 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 contains 73 women’s events, 73 men’s events and seven mixed events.
A six-member Refugee Olympic Team, made up of athletes based in Africa, is competing at the Games, the first time a Refugee Olympic Team has taken part in 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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