Senegal welcomes Youth Olympic flame ahead of Dakar 2026
Senegal welcomed the Youth Olympic flame as preparations gather pace for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, a historic event set to put the country's young population at the centre of the global sporting stage.
Speaking at the ceremony, Senegalese Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo described the Games as a national ambition and highlighted Africa's growing youth population.
“Africa is a brilliant promise of vitality for an aging world. With 60% of its population under the age of 25. By 2030, 42% of the world's youth will be African,” Lo said.
He added that the Senegalese president had placed particular importance on the success of Dakar 2026, describing the Games as “a true national ambition in service of our youth and the prestige of our country.”
International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said seeing the flame arrive on African soil for the first time was an emotional moment.
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“The ceremony in Athens was beautiful and it was very emotional. But I think today was even more emotional seeing the flame on African soil for the very first time,” Coventry said.
The Zimbabwean former Olympic champion also expressed confidence in Senegal's preparations, saying the venues would be ready and athletes would receive a warm welcome.
Coventry said she hoped the Games would give visitors an opportunity to experience Africa while inspiring young Africans to believe in their potential. “I know that those youngsters are going to be able to change the world in the future. So I hope this gives them a platform to be inspired and to believe they can do anything,” she said.The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will take place in Senegal from October 31st to November 13th, 2026
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
