Dakar readies for Africa’s first Olympic event
About 2,700 young athletes will compete in 35 sports at the Youth Olympics, which run from October 31 to November 13.
Construction teams in Dakar are working around the clock ahead of the 2026 Youth Olympics, which begin on October 31. Senegal’s capital will host the first Olympic event on the African continent, with competitions also taking place in nearby Diamniadio and Saly.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for Diamniadio, 40 kilometers from Dakar. About 2,700 athletes are expected to take part across 35 sports before the Games conclude on November 13.
Skateboarding joins the Youth Olympics program for the first time in Dakar. Local skater Sete Awad said the sport was growing in Senegal but had few professionals, and he hoped the Games would draw more attention to it. Student Thomas Dieme said the event offered Senegal and Africa an opportunity to discover new sports.
First staged in Singapore in 2010, the Youth Olympics are a smaller counterpart to the Olympic Games, with competitors between 15 and 18 years old. Dakar’s mascot is a young lion named Ayo.
