Senegal Opens First Youth Olympic Games in Africa
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye will declare the start of competition at the Diamniadio stadium on Saturday, marking a major milestone for the continent.
By Matthew Brooks ·
The Olympic movement expands to a new continent as Senegal prepares to host the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Africa. The event marks the first time an Olympic competition has taken place on the continent.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is scheduled to open the games at 6:30 p.m. local time on Saturday. The ceremony will take place at the Diamniadio stadium. Kirsty Coventry, the International Olympic Committee president, is expected to attend the opening.
Approximately 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 17 will compete in the event. Competition runs through Nov. 13 in Dakar, Diamniadio, and the beach resort of Saly. The games feature 153 medal events across 25 sports, including athletics, swimming, and 3-x-3 basketball.
Four disciplines make their debut in the Youth Olympic program. These include Baseball5, Wushu, coastal rowing beach sprint, and beach wrestling. The inclusion of beach wrestling reflects the popularity of Senegalese wrestling, the country's national sport.
The opening ceremony will feature a cultural spectacle with hundreds of dancers. The event follows the motto “Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates.” French actor Omar Sy and Senegalese Italian TikTok star Khaby Lame are among the ambassadors expected at the ceremony.
Russia is sending a delegation of 13 athletes who will compete under their national flag. This is the first time Russian athletes have flown their flag at an Olympic event since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. They previously competed as neutral athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics and this year's Winter Games.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said the organization should not hold athletes accountable for the actions of their governments. She arrived in Senegal on Tuesday and told media that it is time for Africa and Senegal.
The games arrive amid economic challenges in Senegal. The country is managing a debt crisis and public frustration over rising living costs. Unreported debt from the previous administration has limited public spending, while layoffs have fueled recent protests.
A government-led foundation announced a contribution of 500 million CFA francs to purchase 200,000 tickets for school children. Critics questioned the source of the funds, while the president's political movement stated the money came from donors and benefactors. President Faye defended the spending by citing renovated facilities, youth training, and local business contracts.
