The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games have officially opened, marking the first time an Olympic event has been held on African soil. The International Olympic Committee and CGTN reported the opening ceremony at the 55,000-seat Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio on Saturday.
Around 2,650 to 2,700 young athletes from more than 200 delegations will compete from 31 October to 13 November across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, in 25 competition sports and 153 medal events. The ceremony, built around the theme “The Rise of Sitoe”, celebrated Senegalese culture through traditional music, dance and wrestling alongside contemporary artists including Baaba Maal, Kine Lam and Daara J Family.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the first African to lead the organisation, called the moment historic, while Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye formally declared the Games open. Senegal first won hosting rights in 2018, but the Games were postponed from 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sources: International Olympic Committee, CGTN. Written in our own words for information only.