Senegal Wins
Opening Ceremony of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games
In front of the eyes of the world and amid an unprecedented wave of popular enthusiasm at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, Senegal officially kicked off on Saturday, October 31, the first Youth Olympic Games ever to be held on the African continent. From the pride expressed by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, to the historic call by Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye for Africa to become the “heart of the Games,” and a spectacular cultural showcase led by Baaba Maal and Kiné Lam, capped by the surprise lighting of the Olympic cauldron by two young national sporting hopes, here is a look back at an evening that has gone down in history.