DAKAR: The 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympics ever to be held on African soil, opened Saturday in the Senegalese capital marking an historic moment for the continent.
"I declare open the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar," announced Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye at the Abdoulaye Wade stadium in Diamniadio, a nearby suburb of Dakar.
Signs proclaiming "Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates" are omnipresent across Dakar, which is hosting nearly 2,700 young competitors aged 14 to 17 from around the world.
The event will see the return of Russian athletes to the Olympics and also includes a refugee team. Overall, the young athletes will compete across 25 sports and 153 medal events.
