The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games opened on 31 October at the Stade Abdoulaye Wade in Diamniadio, becoming the first Olympic sporting event held on African soil, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The IOC says approximately 2,650 young athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees, alongside the Youth Refugee Olympic Team, are taking part. The Games run through 13 November across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, with 25 competition sports and 10 additional engagement sports.

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared the Games open. The ceremony brought together traditional Senegalese dance, wrestling and percussion with contemporary music and visual arts, the IOC said.

Visitors and viewers should consult the official Games schedule for current competition times and results.

Source: International Olympic Committee — https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/dakar-2026-youth-olympic-games-open-in-historic-first-for-africa

Image: Mermoz Bay, Dakar, photographed in 2025 by Gromane, Wikimedia Commons, CC0. Illustrative location photograph, not a Games venue: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baie_de_Mermoz_a_Dakar,_Senegal.jpg