The key facts

  • Around 2,700 athletes aged 15–17 compete in 25 sports across 153 events in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly
  • For the first time at the YOG — an equal number of boys and girls and a refugee team; beach wrestling, kung fu and baseball5 make their debut
  • Russia returned to Olympic competition after the suspension was lifted in July: 13 athletes and 10 coaches, but decisions depend on the federations

The first Youth Olympic Games on African soil

At the end of October, Senegal hosts the Youth Olympic Games — the first ever on the African continent and, as Deutsche Wellenotes, possibly the last Summer YOG in their current format. Around 2,700 athletes aged 15–17 will compete in 25 sports across 153 events. The competitions will take place at eight venues in three locations: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, 80 kilometres from the capital. Many see the tournament as a prelude to Africa one day hosting a full-scale Olympic Games.

What's new in the Games programme

The organisers highlight several 'firsts'. According to Olivia Nlogi, the organising committee's chief brand promotion officer, exactly half of the 2,700 athletes are girls, with parity maintained not only overall but in every discipline where it is technically possible. For the first time at the YOG, a refugee team is taking part, and the programme has gained new sports: five-a-side baseball, kung fu and Senegal's national specialty — beach wrestling. Beyond sport, the organising committee invested in a cultural programme: a fashion show, the Yi-sol mural project and the 'Olympic Civic and Sports Certificate' — an educational programme involving more than 1,000 instructors and, according to the organisers, over a million Senegalese children.

Criticism and domestic questions

It has not been without controversy. Human Rights Watch called on the Senegalese authorities to change their stance towards the LGBT community: 'You are welcoming the whole world. There should be no

The return of Russian athletes

Another feature of the tournament is the return of Russians to Olympic competition under their own flag after the International Olympic Committee lifted the suspension in July. The decision on admission, however, rests with the international federations: World Athletics maintains its ban, while the judo and swimming federations have allowed Russians to compete with the flag and anthem. According to the Russian Olympic Committee, 13 athletes and 10 coaches will compete at the Games.