The first Olympic event ever held in Africa, the Dakar Youth Olympic Games bring together athletes aged 17 and under from October 31 to November 13. Judo, wushu, boxing, beach wrestling, taekwondo and fencing are on the programme.
Practical information
- Dates
- From Saturday, October 31, 2026 to Friday, November 13, 2026
- Venue
- Dakar Expo Center (Diamniadio), complexe Iba Mar Diop, plage de Saly, Dakar, Sénégal
Where to watch
Paris time. Broadcasters may change their schedules. Full TV guide →
What's at stake
The 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games take place in Senegal, across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. It is the first Olympic event ever staged on African soil, open to athletes aged 17 and under. In judo, the International Judo Federation lists 96 entries, many of them African judoka who came through its youth camps. For France, the French Boxing Federation has selected Shanon Cabane at under 57 kg: 17 years old, 41 wins in 45 bouts, French cadet and junior champion.
Schedule
Combat sports schedule published by the organising committee:
- Judo: November 1-3, Dakar Expo Center (Diamniadio). - Wushu (taolu): November 1-3, Dakar Expo Center. - Beach wrestling: November 7-8, Saly beach. - Boxing: November 7-12, Dakar Expo Center. - Taekwondo: November 8-12, Iba Mar Diop complex (Dakar). - Fencing: November 8-13.
The opening ceremony is on Saturday, October 31 and the closing ceremony on Friday, November 13. Detailed session times have not been published yet.
On TV
In France, France Télévisions streams the Games free on france.tv sport, with more than 150 hours of live coverage, every day from 9:55 am Paris time. The opening ceremony is also shown on France 4 on Saturday, October 31 at 7:25 pm. Judo, boxing, beach wrestling and taekwondo are among the sports covered.
Getting there
The Dakar Expo Center is in Diamniadio, a new town about thirty kilometres from central Dakar, linked by the TER regional express train. The Iba Mar Diop complex is in central Dakar, and Saly is on the Petite-Côte to the south. Practical information and tickets are on the organising committee's official website.