Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games open in Senegal, a first for Africa

The third Summer Youth Olympic Games opened in Dakar, Senegal, on 31 October 2026. Organised by the International Olympic Committee, the event brings together athletes aged roughly 15 to 18 from countries around the world.

Dakar was the first city in Africa to host an Olympic event of any kind. The Youth Games follow Singapore in 2010 and Nanjing in 2014 as summer editions, and the choice of Senegal was widely seen as a milestone for the Olympic movement on the continent.

The programme combines established Olympic sports with newer disciplines, including 3x3 basketball, a fast-paced half-court format played by teams of three. Germany sent a delegation that included a 3x3 team, whose later results at the Games became part of the story followed by German readers.