The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games kicked off on Saturday night at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, about 30km from the Senegalese capital. This historic event marks the first time an Olympic event is being held on African soil in the 130-year history of the modern Olympic movement. A total of 2,655 athletes aged 14 to 17 from 205 delegations will participate in 153 medal events across 25 sports over the next two weeks.
The sports competition began before the opening ceremony, with Baseball5 starting on Friday at the Tour de l'Oeuf complex. On Saturday, other sports such as beach volleyball in Saly, table tennis in Diamniadio, and coastal rowing time trials got underway. By the end of the day, the host nation, Senegal, had something to cheer about, winning both of its opening beach volleyball matches.
Senegal's beach volleyball teams made a strong start, with the women's pair beating Cabo Verde 2-0 and the men's pair beating Palau 2-0. This is a significant moment for Senegal, which has fielded its largest-ever Olympic delegation of 136 athletes across 23 sports. The country has never before entered more than nine athletes at an Olympic event.
Other African countries also made a strong start, with Sierra Leone's men winning both of their matches in beach volleyball without dropping a set. They beat Namibia 2-0 and then Morocco 2-0. Mozambique's women produced a tight victory, beating Guam 2-1. However, not all African teams were successful, with pairs from Gambia, Tunisia, and Egypt losing their openers in the women's draw.
In baseball5, Kenya announced itself as a medal threat with a 2-1 win over France on Friday, followed by a 2-0 defeat of Mexico on Saturday. Their coach has stated that a medal is the minimum ambition. Senegal lost both its baseball5 matches so far, to Chinese Taipei and top seeds Cuba, and will face Türkiye on Sunday.
The opening ceremony was a grand affair, packed with music and elements of African culture, and played to a full stadium. The parade of nations was led by Greece, followed by the Refugee Olympic Team, which is participating for the first time in a Youth Olympics. Senegal's flag was carried by Ndeye Khady Anna Diatta and Ibrahima Beye.
The Games have achieved full gender equality for the first time in Youth Olympic history, with equal numbers of girls and boys and an equal programme. The first gold medal of the Games was won by Ecuador's Elvira Espinosa in the women's 400m freestyle, clocking a personal best of 4:22.87. Ten more sports began on Sunday, including judo, rugby sevens, and futsal.
Key points
- The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games mark the first time an Olympic event is being held on African soil.
- A total of 2,655 athletes from 205 delegations will participate in 153 medal events across 25 sports.
- The Games have achieved full gender equality for the first time in Youth Olympic history.
