My First Taste of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (week 1)

Hi Y'all!

Today, I thought I would share a little recap of my experience enjoying the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar. And what an experience it has been so far!

Remember how I told you I was a little concerned about the organisation of the Games? After all, Senegal had never hosted such a major sporting event before, and I wasn't entirely sure how everything would come together. Well, let me tell you: most of my worries disappeared the moment I watched the opening ceremony.

I honestly cannot do justice to the show with words. You will have to watch it here to understand what I mean. Let's just say it completely blew me away. The ceremony was a beautiful celebration of Senegalese culture, history and identity. It was filled with symbolism, traditions and storytelling, taking us through the journey of how the Youth Olympics came to Africa and, eventually, to Dakar. Along the way, we were reminded of our own historical heroes and heroines. Everything felt unapologetically Senegalese. The music, the dances, the costumes, the traditions — it was all there. 

And, of course, you know me: I was paying particular attention to the fashion! I immediately recognised the creative hands behind some of the costumes. I could spot the work of some of the boldest Senegalese designers: Khadidja Ba, Maguette Gueye and Selly Raby Kane, whose brands I have admired for quite some time. It was such a pleasure to see their creativity showcased on an international stage. I was genuinely overwhelmed with pride. I almost shed a tear!

The music was another highlight. The ceremony brought together young and veteran artists, blending traditional sounds with more contemporary music. There was something for everyone, but the youth remained at the centre of it all. After all, these were their Games. Their party, their celebration. And when everyone finally let loose towards the end of the show, I honestly wished I could have joined them!

Sadly, I did not attend the opening ceremony in person. And, I must admit, I regret that decision now. I was put off by the distance to the stadium and, more importantly, the thought of figuring out how to get back home afterwards. Watching it from my living room seemed like the sensible option at the time. In hindsight, though, I think it would have been worth the trip.

But I wasn't going to make the same mistake with the competitions!

As soon as I finished watching the opening ceremony, I booked tickets for some of the events I was interested in. Unfortunately, a few competitions were already sold out. Tickets had been available since August 2026, but, as a true Senegalese who enjoys leaving things until the very last minute, I had waited a little too long.

Thankfully, I managed to get tickets for the swimming competition. The event was taking place at the Tour de l'Œuf complex, conveniently located about a 15-minute walk from my office. So, one Tuesday after work, I simply put on my walking shoes and headed there. Getting to the venue was actually quite straightforward. The roads immediately surrounding the complex were not accessible to cars, so walking was the easiest option. Once I arrived, getting inside was equally simple. I just asked some of the volunteers in their bright orange outfits for directions and showed them my reservation on my phone.

Now, here is where I made a rookie mistake. Before heading to the swimming pool, I decided to stop by the merchandise stalls. Naturally, I couldn't resist buying a few souvenirs. I picked up some T-shirts featuring the Games' logo and mascots for the boys and me, as well as a keychain and a pin. I had also spotted a mug online that I really wanted, but unfortunately, it wasn't available at the venue. By the time I finally made my way to the pool, I had missed most of the competition. I only managed to catch the men's 100 m breaststroke final and the medal ceremonies for both the women's and men's events. Still, it was worth it. The Japanese swimmers were particularly impressive, and watching the medal ceremonies added a little extra excitement to the experience. 

The Mascot

The Medal Ceremony

After the swimming competition, I decided to take a stroll around the complex. I wasn't in any particular hurry, and the weather was lovely, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore. The complex has a swimming pool, a huge tent for the baseball5 competition and a skateboard ring.  Right outside the swimming pool, I came across a baseball5 match. Mexico and Kenya were playing in the semi-final, so I stopped to watch for a little while. Now, I have to confess that baseball is not really my thing. I don't follow the sport, and I probably wouldn't go out of my way to watch a regular baseball match. But this was baseball5, and what caught my attention was the mixed-gender format. It was one of the first competitions I had seen where young women and men were playing together on the same team. I found that quite interesting!

The Baseball5 Area

The complex was busy, but it never felt overwhelmingly crowded. There was enough room for people to move around, explore and enjoy the different activities. Food and drinks were available at several stalls, and there were plenty of places to stop and take pictures. But what I enjoyed most was simply being outside, walking around the beautiful complex and taking in the atmosphere. I found myself watching the athletes, observing the different delegations and enjoying the general buzz of the place. It was lovely to see young people from different countries coming together, competing and enjoying themselves.

One of the things I particularly enjoyed about the Youth Olympics was that there was so much happening beyond the actual sporting competitions. Dakar was buzzing with side events, forums, cultural activities and concerts. There was always something to discover! On the first Sunday of the games, I decided to attend the Tourism and Invest in Africa Forum. I hadn't really planned for it, but I thought it would be interesting to see what was happening, so I headed there in the afternoon.

I arrived in the afternoon, just in time to catch several panel discussions featuring some prominent figures from Senegal. Among the speakers were the Ministers of Tourism and Education, representatives from investment firms, and one of Senegal's most talented architects. The latter presented his latest project, which looked so futuristic that it genuinely gave me goosebumps. I love seeing people think beyond the present and imagine what our cities and our country could look like in the future. There were quite a few interesting discussions, but my favourite moment came when the team behind the Youth Olympics opening ceremony took to the stage to share their experience. I recognised some of the people on stage. I had met a few of them before, and had even followed their work online. So, seeing them there, talking about the experience and sharing their emotions after delivering such an incredible show, made me feel genuinely happy. They deserved every bit of recognition they were receiving.

I had gone to the forum on my own, but I bumped into a friend towards the end of the event. We stayed on to enjoy the concert by Baaba Maal, one of the great figures of Senegalese music.

I think that is one of the things I will remember about the Youth Olympics: it wasn't just about the sports. It was also an opportunity to celebrate Senegalese talent, creativity, culture and the people working behind the scenes to put our country on the international stage.