Senegal made history on Saturday as the 2026 Youth Olympic Games opened in Dakar, the first Olympic event ever held on African soil.

Tens of thousands of spectators filled the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium near the capital for a ceremony celebrating Senegalese and African culture under the motto “Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates.” Performers in traditional gowns formed a giant map of Africa, while West African oral storytelling and a concert by singer Obree Daman featured alongside the athletes’ parade. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared the Games open, calling it a moment of pride for the nation .

About 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 17 will compete in 153 medal events across 25 sports through November 13 in Dakar, Diamniadio, and the beach resort of Saly. The Games include debuts for skateboarding, wushu, and baseball, alongside traditional Olympic disciplines .

International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry, a former Zimbabwean swimmer, hailed the event as “a historic moment for Senegal, for Africa and for our entire Olympic family.” Coventry, the first female and African leader of the IOC, emphasized the continent’s growing role in global sport .

The Games were originally scheduled for 2022 but were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Russia’s 13-athlete delegation is competing under its national flag for the first time since its suspension following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. A first for the Youth Olympics, a refugee team of six athletes based in Kenya and Uganda will compete in track and field, judo, and taekwondo .

Dakar’s preparations included last-minute touches to venues and infrastructure, with workers installing Olympic rings and decorations along the coastal promenade. The city’s sporting culture, from beach wrestling to dawn surfing, has long been part of daily life, and the Games offer a chance to showcase it globally .

The event comes as African nations increasingly use sport for diplomacy and development. South Africa hosted the continent’s first FIFA World Cup in 2010, Morocco will co-host the 2030 tournament, and Rwanda staged Africa’s first road cycling world championships last year .