Dakar 2026: Olympic Rings Event Lands on African Soil for the First Time
Senegal is about to host an event carrying the Olympic rings on African soil for the first time, when the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games open on 31 October. It is the first Youth Olympic Games held in Africa, and it runs for 15 days, closing on 13 November.
The competition is spread across three coastal and suburban locations: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. The official Olympics site lists the opening date and closing date. The International Olympic Committee organises the Games as an elite multi-sport event for athletes who are mostly aged 15 to 17, so most of the field is still in school or just out of it.
About 2,700 athletes are set to compete across 25 sports. The programme includes 153 medal events, where gold, silver and bronze are awarded. It also includes 10 "engagement sports", which are played for participation, with no medals handed out. BBC Sport reports the figures.
The first action comes before the opening ceremony. Baseball5, a five-player version of baseball, starts on Friday 30 October, a day ahead of the official opening. For the young players involved, that means the first Youth Olympic medals will be decided well before the rest of the Games get under way.
Dakar was first due to host the event in 2022. The Covid-19 pandemic forced a postponement, and the wait has now ended. The Youth Olympics began in Singapore in 2010, and were followed by Nanjing in 2014 and Buenos Aires in 2018. Each host city has added its own version of the programme, and Dakar's version is the fourth.
The President of the IOC is Kirsty Coventry, who is from Zimbabwe. She became the first woman and the first African to be elected to the role, and her election gives the organisation a leader with a direct link to the continent hosting these Games.
Organisers have also run a lead-up festival called Dakar en Jeux, which combines sport and culture. The festival is designed to bring the public into the build-up before the first races and matches. It is a useful way to see how a host city prepares for an event that lasts two weeks.
For a general reader, the simplest way to follow Dakar 2026 is by the calendar. Opening action starts on 30 October with baseball, the ceremony follows on 31 October, and the final medals are due on 13 November. Between those dates, teenagers from around the world will be racing, jumping, throwing and playing for podium places, with the first medals to watch for in the days ahead.
