Youth Olympics 2026: India’s full contingent, schedule and key athletes

Table tennis player Syndrela Das, Asian Under-17 badminton champion Tanvi Patri and swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu are among India’s leading prospects.

India will field 17 athletes, including 11 women, across 11 sports at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal from October 31 to November 13. Table tennis player Syndrela Das, badminton player Tanvi Patri and swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu are among the country’s leading prospects at the fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympics, which will be held in Africa for the first time.

Youth Olympic Games 2026: All you need to know

Q. When and where will the Youth Olympic Games 2026 be held?

The Youth Olympic Games will be held from October 31 to November 13, 2026, in Senegal. Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly will host the 15-day competition.

Q. Why are the Dakar Youth Olympic Games significant?

Dakar 2026 will be the first Olympic sporting event to be held in Africa. The Summer Youth Olympics were last held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2018. Dakar was originally scheduled to host the Games in 2022, but the event was postponed by four years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Q. How many athletes will compete at the Youth Olympics 2026?

Around 2,700 athletes are expected to compete across 25 sports, with 153 medal events. Another 10 engagement sports will feature without medals being awarded.

Q. How many athletes are in India’s contingent for Dakar 2026?

India will send 17 athletes, comprising 11 women and six men, across 11 sports. It will be the country’s smallest contingent at a Summer Youth Olympic Games.

Q. Which Indian athletes are expected to lead the challenge at Dakar 2026?

Table tennis player Syndrela Das, Asian Under-17 badminton champion Tanvi Patri and swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu are among India’s leading prospects.

Das will compete in the women’s singles table tennis event, while Patri will represent India in women’s badminton singles. Desinghu is entered in the women’s 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley swimming events.

Q. Which sports will India compete in at the Youth Olympic Games 2026?

India will compete in athletics, archery, badminton, beach wrestling, boxing, equestrian, judo, swimming, table tennis, windsurfing and wushu.

Q. What is India’s record at the Summer Youth Olympic Games?

India has won 23 medals across the three previous editions, with three gold, 16 silver and four bronze medals credited to the country.

Q. What are the Youth Olympic Games?

Organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Youth Olympic Games are an elite multi-sport competition primarily for athletes aged 15 to 17. The event combines sporting competition with educational and cultural activities, promoting Olympic values, participation and international understanding.

The inaugural edition was held in Singapore in 2010, followed by Nanjing in China in 2014 and Buenos Aires in Argentina in 2018.

Q. Which sports will feature at Dakar 2026?

The programme includes 25 competition sports, among them athletics, swimming, breaking, skateboarding, beach handball, beach wrestling, futsal, coastal rowing, Baseball5 and Wushu Taolu. Baseball5 and Wushu Taolu will make their Youth Olympic Games debut.

Ten additional engagement sports, including golf, karate and surfing, will be staged without medals being awarded.

Full Indian contingent

Avinash Shourya (Women’s 100m Hurdles), Antra (Women’s beach wrestling 65kg), Anuj(Men’s beach wrestling 70kg), Khushbu Rajakbhai (Women’s judo 63kg), Syndrela Das (Women’s table tennis singles), Dhinidhi Desinghu (Women’s 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 200m IM), Gunjan (Women’s boxing 48kg), Gatha Khadke (Women’s archery individual), Deepanshu Khokhar (Men’s beach wrestling 80kg), Lairenlakpama Ambekar (Men’s boxing 50kg), Sresht Raju (Men’s equestrian jumping individual), Priyanshi Patil (Women’s windsurfing), Tanvi Patri (Women’s badminton singles), Tirhank Pegu (Men’s 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly), Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu (Women’s Changquan combined), Ruparelia Dev (Men’s badminton singles), Taniya (Women’s Beach wrestling 75kg).