Senegal Hosts Africa First Youth Olympic Games in Dakar

The Senegalese capital of Dakar is hosting the first Olympic event ever held in Africa, welcoming nearly 2,700 athletes for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. France 24 and The Rio Times both report that the event marks the first Olympic competition hosted on the African continent. [1][2]

The Rio Times reported that the opening ceremony is scheduled for Saturday 31 October. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee sent a delegation of 29 athletes competing across 12 sports, featuring sports such as rugby sevens, coastal rowing, and beach wrestling. [2]

Officially known as the IV Summer Youth Olympic Games, Dakar 2026 is an international multi-sport, education, and cultural festival organized for teenage athletes by the International Olympic Committee. The event runs for 14 days, from 31 October to 13 November 2026, and is the first Youth Olympic Games under International Olympic Committee presidency of Kirsty Coventry. [2][8]

Africa is the world second-largest and second-most populous continent, with a population of nearly 1.4 billion people. The continent maintains the youngest population globally, with a median age recorded at 19.7 years in 2012. [9]