Dakar 2026 opens: the first Olympic event ever held in Africa

For the first time, an Olympic event is being held in Africa. Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games open at 19:57 local time on Saturday 31 October, at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, outside Dakar.

"This historic moment is for Senegal and for Africa and for our entire Olympic family," said IOC President Kirsty Coventry. "For years, we have talked about this moment."

A night of firsts

Athletes aged 14 to 17 from 205 delegations marched in the Parade of Nations, with Greece leading and the hosts entering last. The Refugee Youth Olympic Team walked second, the first refugee team at a Youth Olympic Games. In all, 2,655 athletes will compete in 25 sports until the closing ceremony on 13 November.

More than 1,000 performers took part. Around 100 wrestlers performed the bakk, the traditional wrestlers' dance, and Senegalese star Baaba Maal led a parade honouring Africa's 54 countries, with 360 dancers forming a map of the continent. Fencer Abdourahmane Marième Sy and judoka Aïcha Diop lit the cauldron with a flame that left Athens on 10 September and toured all 14 of Senegal's regions.

"Win, lose, start again, but above all, dare. Dare to make friends," organising committee president Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye told the athletes.

Kenya in the parade

Baseball5 player Windfridah Msavi carried Kenya's flag. Her team had already made a strong start, beating France and Mexico to top its group on the opening day of competition. Kenya has a record team of 53 athletes in 13 sports in Senegal.

Athletics: 8 to 10 November

Kenya's strongest event comes in week two. The athletics programme runs from 8 to 10 November at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop in Dakar. All of Kenya's 15 Youth Olympic medals so far have come in athletics. We will follow every Kenyan in Dakar and post the results here.