Africa Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates (Youth Olympics 2026)
Hi Y'all!
For the first time ever, Africa is getting ready to host the Youth Olympic Games. And by Africa, I mean Dakar — the capital city of Senegal, my country.
From 31 October to 13 November 2026, Dakar will welcome around 2,700 teenage athletes representing 207 delegations, including the first-ever Youth Refugee Olympic Team. They will compete across 25 sports, including table tennis, judo, swimming and baseball, alongside 10 engagement sports such as surfing and breaking.
Dakar won the bid to host the Games in 2018, beating other candidates including Tunisia and Nigeria. We were actually supposed to host them in 2022, but the Games were postponed because of COVID-19. Four years later, it is finally happening.
To be honest, I was not particularly familiar with the Youth Olympic Games before Dakar was announced as the host city. I am not even sure I have ever watched a Youth Olympic competition. The Olympic Games, on the other hand, are a completely different story. I have always loved the Olympics and, over the years, I have rarely missed the opening and closing ceremonies. I have also followed quite a few competitions, especially athletics, gymnastics and synchronised swimming on TV.
The Youth Olympics have a much shorter history. The idea was first proposed in 1998 by Austrian industrial manager Johann Rosenzopf, with the aim of encouraging young people to be more active. The concept was later revived and championed by former IOC President Jacques Rogge, and was officially approved in 2007. The first Youth Olympic Games were held in Singapore in 2010. Since then, the Summer and Winter editions have alternated every four years.
And now, the Games are coming to Dakar. I have to admit that I feel very proud seeing my city take on such a huge international event. At the same time, I am curious to see how Dakar will rise to the challenge of hosting something of this scale. I also have several friends who have been working behind the scenes on the project, which makes the whole experience feel much more personal. Naturally, I would love to see all their hard work pay off.
Over the past two years, we have already seen Dakar slowly transform in preparation for the Games. Major sports facilities have been renovated, including the national swimming pool. There have been marketing and engagement campaigns across the city, many of them designed to get people involved in a fun and accessible way. I remember seeing initiatives such as competitions to design or draw the Games’ mascot — the kind of activities that make a major international event feel a little closer to ordinary people. Over the past few weeks, more and more signs of the Games have appeared around Dakar, with displays featuring the different sports and, of course, the mascot. You suddenly notice that the city is preparing for something big.
The Mascot AYO and I at an event.
In September, the Olympic Flame arrived from Athens. It then made a tour of the country, being carried by influential people. There is something quite special about seeing the Flame make its way through Dakar and then travel across the country, carried by different people along the way. It is one thing to read about the Youth Olympics or see them on television. It is another to see little pieces of the event becoming part of everyday life in your own city.
The 100 Lingueres (women) who marched with the Olympic flame in Dakar
As the opening ceremony gets closer, I find myself becoming increasingly curious, but also very anxious. Of course, not everything is ready yet. Some of the sites are still being completed, and then there are the floods. Dakar has experienced some heavy rain recently, which has caused damage in several parts of the city, particularly to roads. I honestly wonder whether there is enough time to fix everything before the Games begin. Moreover, from what I see and hear around me, the excitement does not seem to be particularly widespread, especially among young people. Perhaps this should not come as a surprise. Senegal is going through a difficult period, with rising prices and a high cost of living, and for many people, particularly young people, the priority is much more basic: finding a job that pays enough money to eat, pay the bills and get through the month. Against that backdrop, spending money on a major international sporting event can understandably feel like a luxury. Some people see the Games as unnecessary and frivolous. Others have even called for a boycott.
Anyone who knows Dakar knows that traffic is already something of an adventure on a normal day. Now imagine adding thousands of visitors, athletes, officials and spectators, with competitions taking place at different venues across the city. There are also several locations that have been selected for cultural activities. I can already imagine the traffic jams.
So, while I am excited about the Games, I am also trying to be realistic about how I am going to experience them.
I would like to watch at least one competition with the boys. I would have loved to attend the opening ceremony, but after my last experience at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in 2025, I am not sure I am ready to put myself through that again. I think I will be watching the ceremony from the comfort of my living room.
Several posters and decorations around the city
Instead, I am carefully looking at the competition schedule and choosing events that are relatively close to home and easy to reach by bus or taxi. I am particularly looking forward to swimming, athletics and breaking. I have never really followed breaking as a competitive sport, so I am curious to see what it will be like in the Olympic setting. I would have loved to go to Saly for the surfing competition and turn it into a little weekend getaway. Unfortunately, there is one small problem: apparently, there won't be buses available to the general public. The Youth Olympic Committee must have requisitioned them all. I have no evidence whatsoever to support this theory, but it feels plausible enough to me.
So, for now, my Olympic strategy is quite simple: choose venues close to home, avoid unnecessary traffic, watch a few competitions, and enjoy the atmosphere without making my life unnecessarily complicated.
And if you are in Dakar and are interested in attending the Games, go check the ticket site below: https://tickets.dakar2026.org/fr/ticketing
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