DAKAR, Senegal / AfricaWire.IO / – The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will open on Saturday, October 31, and run until November 13, marking the first Olympic sporting event ever held on African soil. The Games will bring together the world’s best young athletes, with 2,655 competitors aged 14 to 17 expected in Senegal. Around 2,700 athlete quota places have been allocated. The International Olympic Committee said the event is also making history in several other ways.
Senegal’s flag waves in the evening sun. (AI-generated image)
A Refugee Olympic Team will take part in the Youth Olympic Games for the first time. Six athletes based in Africa will represent millions of displaced people across the continent, the IOC said. Dakar 2026 is also the first edition to achieve full gender equality across athlete quota places, sports, disciplines and events. Athlete quota places are split equally, with 50% for female and 50% for male competitors.
Competitions will take place across three host zones: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. The opening ceremony is set for the Olympic Stadium in Diamniadio, while the Youth Olympic Village is based at Amadou Mahtar Mbow University. Saly, on the coast about 80 kilometres from Dakar, will host beach and water events, including sailing. Dakar was awarded the Games in 2018, initially for 2022, before they were moved to 2026.
Nearly a million tickets available
More than 960,000 tickets have been made available for competitions, ceremonies and Fan Zones. Of these, 300,000 solidarity tickets have been set aside for children and young people, students, associations and sports clubs. The IOC has also allocated $19.5 million to Olympic Solidarity’s Youth Development programmes for 2025 to 2028. Investment was expanded ahead of Dakar 2026, with a particular focus on African National Olympic Committees.
Senegal enters the Games after a high-profile year in sport. Its national football team played at the FIFA World Cup in June, losing its opening match 3-1 to France. The country now becomes the first in Africa to host an Olympic event. The previous Summer Youth Olympic Games were held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2018.
Record broadcast coverage planned
An estimated 507 hours of broadcast coverage will bring the action from Dakar to audiences around the world. Nineteen media rights-holders and more than 70 sublicensees are contributing to the international distribution of the Games. Compared with Buenos Aires 2018, Dakar 2026 is expected to deliver 25% more live coverage of the sports featured at both editions. Fan Zones will give spectators further ways to follow the competition.
Senegal’s footballers also faced Norway at the World Cup, losing 3-2 in the group stage. The Youth Olympic Games now give the country a new global sporting stage. Six refugee athletes will compete alongside national delegations from around the world. The Games close on November 13 after nearly two weeks of competition.