The 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, are set to be a historic moment for African sport, bringing together the continent's next generation of talent on home soil. The games, which will take place from October 31 to November 13, 2026, will feature around 2,700 athletes aged 15 to 18 competing across various sports. These young athletes will have the opportunity to build on their recent national, continental, and international performances while representing a broad range of African sporting talent.
Joanita Borteye from Ghana is one of the young athletes to watch in the table tennis event. At just 15 years old, Borteye has already made a name for herself against senior opposition. She advanced to the women's singles round of 16 at the 2026 ITTF-Africa Championships in Tangier, Morocco, after winning all three of her group matches and defeating Morocco's Edena Prevot 4-1 in the round of 32. Her progress builds on her youth-level success, including winning the under-15 mixed doubles title at the ITTF-Africa Youth Championships in Accra.
David Kapaiko Sekento from Kenya is another athlete to watch in the athletics event. Sekento heads to Dakar with a world championship medal already on his record, winning silver in the men's 1,500m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, in August 2026. The 16-year-old's performance established him as one of Kenya's emerging middle-distance prospects. He will be looking to test himself in international competition again as he builds on a breakthrough season at junior level.
Ranim Ben Sliman from Tunisia has built a strong continental record in 2026, winning the Dakar Cadet African Cup and the Algiers Cadet African Cup, as well as silver at the African Cadet Championships. She also finished third at the Dakar Junior African Cup in March. Her results give her experience across cadet and junior-level competition, while her earlier victory in Dakar offers familiarity with the host city. She will be looking to carry that form into the Youth Olympics and add to her growing record of continental podium finishes.
Coura Sall from Senegal enters the Games with valuable experience on home territory. She finished second in the women's race at the Saly Development Regional Cup in November 2025, recording the fastest run split in the field over 2.9km. More recently, she won a sprint-distance preparation race in Mbour, Senegal, ahead of compatriot Ngoné Diop. With local course experience and a recent victory behind her, Sall will be one of the host nation's athletes to watch.
Elsabet Amare from Ethiopia has already established herself among the leading young middle-distance runners internationally. At the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, in August 2026, she finished fourth in the women's 1,500m final in 4:19.83. The 17-year-old set a personal best of 4:01.32 over 1,500m in Montreuil, France, in June 2026. Her season has also included an 8:43.93 best over 3,000m and a 4:23.78 mile, highlighting her ability across several middle-distance events.
Other athletes to watch include Bosson Greccy Hillary from Côte d'Ivoire, who has a recorded 100m personal best of 13.00 seconds, and Connor Grist from Zimbabwe, who brings regional and continental competition experience to Zimbabwe's Dakar team. The Youth Olympic Games will provide these young athletes with a platform to gain experience against international age-group opposition and measure their progress against other young athletes.
Key points
- The 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar will feature 10 talented young athletes from Africa competing in various sports.
- These young athletes have already shown promise in their respective sports, with some having won medals and set personal bests in recent competitions.
- The games will provide a platform for these athletes to gain experience against international age-group opposition and measure their progress against other young athletes.
