Everything you need to know about the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal

From 31 October to 13 November, Dakar will host the Youth Olympic Games – the first Olympic event to be staged on the African continent.

Issued on: 30/10/2026 - 09:30

The Youth Olympic Games are a relatively recent creation in the history of the Olympic movement, which began in 1896.

In 2007, Jacques Rogge, then president of the International Olympic Committee, proposed launching a competition for athletes aged 14 to 18. He was concerned about childhood obesity, declining participation in sport and the difficulty young people faced in finding solid role models.

The Summer Youth Olympic Games were launched with two objectives: to create a global sporting event, and an educational environment in which young people could exchange ideas on health, nutrition, ethics and Olympic values.

The cultural and educational programme was incorporated from the outset at the first Games in Singapore in 2010 – which included workshops on fair play, appearances by former champions and discussions on combating doping and managing sporting careers.

Unlike the adult Olympic Games for adult athletes, the Youth Games are not solely about excellence and performance, and are intended to represent a stage in the development of young athletes. Participants learn how to handle international competition, but also how to conduct themselves as representatives of their sport and their country.

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A first for Africa

Since the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896, the Games have travelled to Europe, the Americas, Oceania and Asia – but have never been held in Africa.

The fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games will change that, when nearly 3,000 athletes from 204 national Olympic committees descend on Senegal – after this edition was postponed from 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Dakar Games have been conceived on a continental scale, as reflected in the event's motto: “Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates.”

The Games are being presented as proof of Africa's ability to organise an international event, mobilise volunteers and welcome delegations from around the world.

The aim is to be a Games of firsts, starting with full gender parity. A total of 1,350 boys and 1,350 girls will compete and each gender will have 73 medal events, with a further seven mixed events – the first time in Olympic history that an event has achieved such a balance. 

There will also be new sports introduced, including wushu, a Chinese martial art, and baseball5, a simplified mixed-gender version of the game, as well as beach wrestling.

There will also be an Olympic Refugee Youth Team, as at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The young refugees – an equal mix of girls and boys – will compete in athletics, judo and taekwondo.

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Host cities

The event will be spread out across Dakar, the city of Diamniadio 30km east of the capital and the beach resort of Saly. 

In Dakar competitions will be held across three main sites. The Egg Tower, or Olympic Swimming Pool, will host 3x3 basketball, baseball5, breaking, swimming and skateboarding.

The Iba Mar Diop Stadium will stage athletics, boxing, futsal and rugby sevens, while the Corniche Ouest will provide the setting for sports including karate, tennis and golf, as well as road cycling events, with the start and finish on the coast.

Diamniadio's venues include the equestrian sports centre for showjumping, Dakar Arena for badminton and futsal, Abdoulaye Wade Stadium for archery and the Dakar Exhibition Centre for fencing, artistic gymnastics, judo, taekwondo, table tennis and wushu. Diamniadio will also host the Youth Olympic Village.

Further south, in the Mbour region, the Saly West Beach venue on the coast will be dedicated to coastal rowing, beach handball, beach wrestling, triathlon, sailing and beach volleyball.

Role models

Since their inception, the Youth Games have made use of “athlete role models” – leading sporting figures who support young competitors. More than just a symbolic presence, they contribute to the event's educational programme and the everyday life of the Games.

At Dakar, 42 athlete role models are expected to take part, meeting young competitors, following their training and offering advice and support.

They will also hold workshops covering career management, injury prevention, mental preparation and how to balance sporting and personal life.

Among those taking part in Dakara are French judoka Clarisse Agbegnenou; Côte d'Ivoire's Ruth Gbagbi, who competes in taekwondo; Australian swimmer Emma McKeon and Cuban wrestler Mijaín Lopez.

They'll be seen at competition venues, in the stands, at training sessions and during medal ceremonies – and will also visit local communities to share their experiences and strengthen the connection between the event and the Senegalese people.

This article has been adapted from the original version in French by Ndiasse Sambe.

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