IOC chief hails 'time for Africa' as Youth Olympic Games kick off in Senegal

"It is time for Africa. It's time for Senegal. It's been a long time," said Coventry, who is the first woman as well as the first African to head the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

"I know Senegal is going to do an incredible job of welcoming the world and the world's athletes to come and share in our African traditions and our excitement. We're very proud of that."

Between 31 October and 13 November, nearly 3,000 athletes under the age of 17 will compete in 25 sports – ranging from athletics to beach wrestling and rugby sevens – at eight venues in and around the Senegalese capital Dakar.

"We're very proud of the team," Coventry added. "The volunteers make everything. It's such a warm welcome, and I think volunteers bring such a special aspect to a Youth Olympic Games."

Senegal ready to show 'what it is capable of' at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics

Financial struggles

The Games, however, are being staged in a time of financial turmoil for Senegal.

The country's public debt was estimated at 132 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of 2024.

On 27 October, MPs from the Pastef party, which holds a large majority in the National Assembly, blocked a revised 2026 budget bill. It was referred back to a parliamentary committee in a bid to reach a compromise between the government and the bill's opponents.

The budget is being presented as a key measure to solving the crisis, and allowing potential access to extra funds.

In September, the International Monetary Fund announced a preliminary agreement with Senegal on a new €1.93 billion aid programme over 36 months. However, the plan is subject to certain conditions.

"If MPs consider it to be in the people's interests, they will adopt it. If they believe it is not good for the country, they will reject it,” said Ousmane Sonko, the National Assembly speaker.

Senegal PM vows to address economic issues as 2026 Youth Olympics Games loom

In an interview with RFI before debating the bill, Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo – who took over from Sonko in May – said: "When you are welcoming the world, you must present an image of unity. Peace, faster, higher, stronger... these are the ideals we want to offer our young people."

He added: "We must not allow this celebration for young people to be overshadowed because the National Assembly either cannot understand or does not want to understand what we have put on the table."

International delegations

During the Games, 136 athletes from Senegal will take part in 23 sports.

They will be joined by Russian athletes, who will return to Olympic competition under their own flag following a ban enacted in the wake of the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

In July, the International Olympic Committee effectively lifted the Russian Olympic Committee's (ROC) suspension. According to the ROC, 13 Russian athletes will participate and 10 coaches will accompany them to Senegal.

At the last Summer Youth Olympic Games, held in Buenos Aires in 2018, France's 99 athletes won 27 medals, including five golds, to finish ninth on the medal table. This year, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee will send a delegation of 69 athletes who will compete in 22 of the 25 sports on the programme.

Elsa Lepinay, 16, and 17-year-old Raphaël de Boussac will be the France flag bearers at the opening ceremony at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio.

“I was very surprised when I found out I had been elected flag-bearer," said Lepinay, who competes in Baseball5 – a simplified version of the game. 

"Being selected for the Youth Olympic Games was already incredible news," she added. "I didn't expect another announcement like this and it will make the competition even more special."

De Boussac added: "To carry my country's colours and represent all French young people at such an intense and significant moment is something huge, and I am really proud of it.

He will take part in the coastal rowing competitions between 31 October and 3 November at the Plage de Saly, some 85 kilometres to the south of Dakar.

"This first Olympic experience is the result of many training sessions and all the commitment I have put into my sport," he said. 

"I am delighted to see that it is paying off. I am finding it hard to believe that I am going to compete at the Youth Olympic Games, and on top of that, as a flag-bearer. It is the ultimate achievement.”

Activists urge Senegal to halt LGBT crackdown as Youth Olympic Games near

LGBT discrimination

As MPs thrash out solutions to Senegal's economic woes, social justice campaigners have hit out at the government over the country's treatment of LGBT people.

In March, Senegal's parliament amended article 319 of the penal code, doubling the maximum penalty for consensual same-sex conduct from five to 10 years in prison. It also criminalised the promotion of, or support for, LGBT people and organisations.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the authorities to halt a crackdown on same-sex relations. HRW says the government's measures are incompatible with the Olympic movement's commitment to non-discrimination and human rights.

“The ongoing government crackdown on LGBT people raises serious concerns about Senegal's compliance with international law, the Olympic Charter and Senegal's own laws,” said Larissa Kojoue, HRW's LGBT rights researcher.

“LGBT people are being forced to curb their normal activities and to keep from exercising their rights for fear of arrest and increased stigma."