Senegal Youth Olympic Games end with expectations ‘far exceeded’

DAKAR – The Youth Games drew to a close on the evening of Nov 13 in Senegal, with organisers calling the first Olympics ever hosted on African soil a success that proves the continent capable of hosting a major international event.

The country welcomed nearly 2,700 young competitors under the age of 17 from around the world, who competed across 25 sports and 153 medal events over the course of two weeks.

Across the capital – one of three municipalities where competitions took place – the enthusiasm was palpable, with spectators erupting into booming cheers whenever a Senegalese or other African athlete scored or won.

A total of 136 Senegalese athletes competed in the Games, against a backdrop of enthusiasm usually reserved for football in the west African nation of some 19 million.

Banners placed across the city proclaimed “Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates” and enormous statues of mascot Ayo the lion decorated intersections and landmarks.

“I think that everyone came here with certain expectations and I think those expectations have been far exceeded”, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry, a former Zimbabwean swimmer, said in her closing address on Nov 12.

“Now I think we’ve shown the world the capability that we have and now we need to choose to take that forward”, she said.

Gold medal winners

China took home the most gold medals at 18, including multiple golds in artistic gymnastics, athletics, swimming and rowing coastal beach sprints. Japan followed next with 11 and Russia eight.

Next in line were three African nations: Egypt with six and Ethiopia and Senegal with five each.

Final competitions were held on Nov 13 in beach handball, breaking and fencing, followed by a closing ceremony in the evening at the Youth Olympic Village in the Dakar suburb of Diamniadio for athletes, delegations and dignitaries.

“One of the challenges, which we acknowledged from the very beginning, was to demonstrate that across all five continents there is an equal capacity to rise to such a challenge”, Ibrahima Wade, general coordinator of the Organising Committee for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games said on Nov 12 during closing remarks.

“It was a test, and we had to succeed to show that Africa has its place in hosting major future events.”

Dakar, Diamniadio and the beach town of Saly located some 80km from the capital, all hosted events.

The Youth Games marked the first Olympic competition since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 in which Russian athletes were allowed to compete under their own flag and colours.

The Games also welcomed a refugee team, composed primarily of athletes based in Africa.

South Africa could potentially become the first African nation to host the Olympic Games, having already paved the way by hosting the men’s FIFA World Cup in 2010. The country is officially in the running for the 2036 Summer Olympics.

Singapore, represented by 14 athletes across nine sports, returned with three medals.

Wushu exponent Ng Zhe Nin won the women’s taijiquan combined event to mark Singapore’s first gold medal since the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

Loy Ming Ying then won a silver medal in the women’s singles competition, having upset higher-ranked rivals along the way.

Fencer Ashton Auw added to Singapore’s medal tally on the final day of competition, winning bronze in the men’s sabre individual event to secure Singapore’s first-ever fencing medal at the Youth Olympics. AFP