It has taken more than a century of modern Olympism for the flame to finally settle on African soil. On Saturday 31 October, Senegal will open the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event ever held in Africa. And just days before kick-off, the Senegalese capital is living to the rhythm of building sites working day and night.
2,700 young athletes, 35 sports, three cities
Until 13 November, around 2,700 athletes aged 15 to 18 will take part in events in 35 sports, spread across Dakar, the new city of Diamniadio and the seaside resort of Saly. The opening ceremony will be held in Diamniadio, some forty kilometres from the capital.
The Youth Olympic Games, created in 2010 in Singapore, are a scaled-down version of the Games aimed at tomorrow’s talent. Dakar was originally due to host them in 2022, before the Covid-19 pandemic led the IOC and Senegal to postpone them to 2026. The flame, lit in Athens in September, has since made its official arrival at the square of the African Renaissance Monument.
Ayo the lion cub, and skateboarding in the spotlight
The mascot is called Ayo, a young lion, Senegal’s national emblem. Among the new features, skateboarding will make its Youth Olympic debut in Dakar. On the Corniche, young local riders hope the event will shine a spotlight on a discipline that is still little known in the country but growing fast.
For many Dakar residents, above all it is a unique chance to see the Games “at home”. A student, a local resident, a skater: in the accounts gathered by Africanews, the same idea keeps coming back, that of a first for the whole continent and not just for Senegal.
A full-scale test
Beyond sport, these Youth Games are a test of Africa’s capacity to host major Olympic events. Infrastructure, transport, security, hosting delegations: everything will be scrutinised. Success would strengthen the ambitions of several African countries that already dream of one day hosting the “big” Olympic Games.
The Games will also carry powerful stories, such as that of young refugee athletes living in Uganda who are pursuing their Olympic dream all the way to Senegal. See you on Saturday for the opening ceremony.
Sources : Africanews / AP, Africanews
Photo: Jeff Attaway / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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