The 2026 Youth Olympic Games, branded “Dakar 2026,” opened on Saturday in Senegal, marking the first Olympic event held on African soil. The opening ceremony took place in Diamniadio, a city about 30 km from Dakar, and the competitions will run until 13 November. A total of 2,665 athletes, aged 14 to 17, will compete in 25 sports across 153 events. The Games will use eight venues spread over three cities: Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly, which lies roughly 80 km from the capital. Senegal will field 136 athletes and will rely on more than 6,000 volunteers. “People from all over the world will arrive with different images of Africa,” said Kristie Koventri, an IOC member and former Zambian swimmer, at a press conference in Dakar on Thursday. “I hope they leave with very positive impressions.” She added that the event is “very important for the continent.” The Games come amid Senegal’s high debt and ongoing economic and social challenges. Prime Minister Ahmedou Amine Mohamed Lo said in an interview with AFP this week that, “from the start of the Games, Dakar will become the capital of African youth.” He described hosting the Youth Olympics as a “symbolic moment” and expressed hope that African youth would be inspired by the Olympic motto, “Higher, Faster, Stronger.” The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended the Russian Olympic Committee in July. Dakar 2026 will be the first Olympic competition in which Russian athletes can compete under the Russian flag and anthem. The Russian Olympic Committee has announced that 13 athletes will participate in cycling, judo, equestrian, swimming, skateboarding, artistic gymnastics, taekwondo, wushu, and fencing. Anzor Gavanov, coach of judo athlete Anastasia Dobrevskaya, told AFP on 19 October in Moscow that the athletes were “excited” and that it was “good news” to regain the right to compete under the Russian flag and anthem. The final decision on Russian participation will rest with each sport’s international federation. The IOC views Dakar 2026 as an opportunity to showcase Senegal’s cultural richness and Africa’s growing role in the Olympic movement. It also notes that South Africa is currently pursuing a bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, which would make it the first African country to host the Games.