Senegal set to welcome Youth Games

Dakar 2026 will make history as the first Olympic event to be held in Africa, bringing together young athletes from around the world for the continent's landmark sporting occasion which gets underway on Saturday.

Dozens of volunteers welcomed IOC President Kirsty Coventry to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games tonight with high-fives. She praised their energy: "It's such a warm welcome, and I think volunteers bring such a special aspect to an Olympic Games and to a Youth Olympic Games. We’'e feeling that energy now, so thank you all for volunteering. Thank you for making these Games so special."

Around 2,700 athletes aged 17 and under are expected to participate in the fourth edition of the Youth Olympic Games, which will feature 25 sports over a two-week programme. The event will be staged across Dakar, Diamniadio and the coastal town of Saly, around 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the capital, using eight venues.

The host nation will be represented by 136 athletes, while the international field will include competitors from Russia returning to Olympic competition under their national flag and anthem in several sports. For Senegal, the significance of the Games extends beyond the sporting programme. Hosting the event places the country at the forefront of a historic moment for the Olympic Movement, but the challenge will be to translate that attention into tangible benefits for its population.

The Games are taking place as Senegal faces mounting debt and serious economic pressures. Rising living costs, unemployment and financial hardship have dominated everyday concerns, limiting the enthusiasm surrounding an event that has required considerable investment in infrastructure and preparations.

Authorities see that spending as an opportunity to develop skills, improve training opportunities and create benefits that will remain after the athletes have departed. They also hope the international exposure will raise Dakar's profile as a destination for major sporting competitions and tourism.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has sought to underline the wider importance of the occasion. When the Youth Olympic flame arrived in Dakar on 12 September, he told Senegalese people that young Africans were being watched with 'confidence and pride'.

Faye said he wanted visitors to recognise the ambition and determination of Africa's younger generation. The flame's journey had already taken it approximately 3,600 kilometres (2,200 miles) around the country, passing through all 14 regions before reaching the capital.

The international dimension of Dakar 2026 will also be evident in the return of Russian athletes. The International Olympic Committee effectively lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee in July, opening the way for Russian competitors to participate in the Youth Games under national symbols where the relevant international federation permits it.

According to the ROC, 13 athletes will travel to Senegal alongside 10 coaches. Russian Sports Minister and ROC President Mikhail Degtyarev addressed the group at a meeting in Moscow last week, predicting that their performances would be accompanied by the country's national symbols. "After your victories -- and I'm sure there will be some -- the Russian anthem will be played and the Russian flag will be raised," Degtyarev said.

Cyclist Angelina Novolodskaya also welcomed the prospect of competing, telling AFP that learning she could attend the Games had been an extraordinary moment. "When I was told that there would be Youth Olympic Games and that I could go, it was just 'wow'. It's so cool and extraordinary," she said.

The position on Russian participation nevertheless varies between sports. World Athletics continues to maintain its ban, whereas the international governing bodies for judo and swimming have allowed Russian athletes to compete with their flag and anthem. A Refugee Olympic Team, composed mainly of athletes living in Africa, will also take part, adding another dimension to an event designed to bring together young competitors from across the world.

The IOC has presented the Games as an important opportunity to highlight Africa's cultural diversity and strengthen the continent's place within the Olympic Movement. Yet questions about Senegal's human rights record are also likely to attract attention during the event.

The country has recently doubled the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations, amid growing hostility towards LGBTQ+ people. Human Rights Watch has called on the authorities to stop what it described as a ;brutal crackdown; on LGBTQ+ people. "The Olympic Charter prohibits discrimination on any grounds and commits host countries to respect human rights and human dignity," the organisation said.

Dakar's historic role could also add momentum to broader discussions about whether Africa can eventually host the Summer Olympic Games. South Africa, which staged the FIFA World Cup in 2010, is officially in contention to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.

For Senegal, the immediate priority is to deliver a successful event that demonstrates the continent's capacity to stage major international sport. Whether the Games also deliver the economic, social and sporting gains promised by their organisers will be an important measure of their longer-term impact.