Senegal Prepares To Host Africa First Youth Olympic Games
The event marks the first Olympic sports competition on African soil and tests the continent ability to stage future senior Olympic Games.
Senegal will host the Summer Youth Olympic Games from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13, marking the first time any Olympic sporting event takes place in Africa. Organizers and continental sports officials view the competition as proof that African nations can organize global events and eventually stage the senior Olympic Games.
The competition will bring about 2,700 teenage athletes aged 15 to 18 to venues across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. Participants will compete in 25 sports, including breaking, sport climbing and three-on-three basketball. The edition will also include a dedicated Youth Refugee Olympic Team composed of athletes based across Africa.
Senegal gained the hosting rights in 2018 at an International Olympic Committee session in Buenos Aires. The competition was initially set for 2022. Senegalese authorities and the IOC agreed in 2020 to delay the event to 2026 after the pandemic disrupted the international sports calendar and forced the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics.
African sports leaders describe the Youth Games as an essential stepping stone. Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa President Mustapha Berraf said the Dakar competition represents the first chapter in a process toward hosting the Olympic Games. He said the continent possesses the infrastructure, young population and conviction required to stage a full Olympic tournament.
Senegal is using existing and newly completed sites to limit financial strain. Ceremonies will take place at the 50,000-seat stadium in Diamniadio, with additional indoor events scheduled at the nearby Dakar Arena. IOC inspection teams confirmed this year that construction and renovation work remained on schedule across all host locations.
The country launched nationwide sports and civic initiatives ahead of the opening ceremony, engaging more than one million young people in educational programs. The Youth Olympic flame completed a relay across Senegalese regions in September after arriving from Athens.
Organizers are now finishing venue preparations and hosting test events before delegations arrive in Dakar for the opening ceremony on Oct. 31.
