Russia Returns to Youth Olympics Under National Flag as Senegal Hosts Event
Approximately 2,700 athletes from around the world will compete across three locations in Senegal through November 13, marking the first time Africa has hosted the event.
By Ana Salazar ·
Senegal will open the Youth Olympic Games on Saturday, bringing the competition to the African continent for the first time. Approximately 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 17 will compete through November 13 in Dakar, the nearby city of Diamniadio, and the beach resort of Saly. The opening ceremony will feature hundreds of dancers performing a spectacle that celebrates Senegalese and African culture, guided by the event motto "Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates."
Dakar was originally selected to host these games in 2022, but the event was delayed by four years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Singapore hosted the first edition of the summer Youth Olympics in 2010. The competition will feature 153 medal events across 25 sports, including athletics, swimming, and 3-x-3 basketball. Several disciplines will make their debut at this level, such as Baseball5, Wushu, and coastal rowing beach sprint. Beach wrestling will also be included, a sport that reflects the national pastime in Senegal.
A delegation of six refugee athletes based in Kenya and Uganda will compete in track and field, judo, and taekwondo. This marks the first time a refugee team has participated in the Youth Olympics. Russian athletes will also compete, with 13 members of the delegation competing under their national flag. This is the first time Russia has used its flag at an Olympic event since its suspension following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Previously, Russian competitors in Paris and at the winter games competed as neutral athletes.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, a Zimbabwean swimming champion, will attend the opening ceremony at the Diamniadio stadium. She is expected to be joined by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who is scheduled to declare the games open at 6:30 p.m. local time. Coventry stated that the Olympics should not "hold athletes accountable for the actions of their governments." Other notable attendees include French actor Omar Sy and Senegalese TikTok star Khaby Lame, both of whom serve as ambassadors for the event.
The games arrive as Senegal faces economic challenges, including a debt crisis and public frustration over rising living costs. Many residents have stated that they are prioritizing daily expenses over attending the sporting events. A government-led foundation announced a contribution of 500 million CFA francs, approximately $854,000, to purchase 200,000 tickets for school children. Critics questioned the source of these funds, while the president's political movement stated the money came from donors and benefactors.
President Faye has defended the spending on the games, citing renovated sports facilities, training opportunities for young people, and contracts awarded to local businesses. Sports analyst Frédéric Sohoundé noted that African countries view sport as a tool for diplomacy and development. He added that Senegal requires reliable maintenance funding and regular events after the games to prevent its new venues from becoming unused.
The mascot for the games is a young lion named Ayo, which means "joy" in the Yoruba language. The lion wears a traditional Fulani hat. The event represents a major milestone for African sports, following other recent international competitions on the continent, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and road cycling world championships in Rwanda.
Source: Greenwich Time
