On October 31 the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games kicked off in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. This is the first time the African continent has hosted an Olympic sporting event. The Youth Olympic Games will be held from October 31 to November 13, featuring 25 official competition events and 10 participation events, with approximately 2,650 young athletes from 204 National/Regional Olympic Committees and the Youth Refugee Olympic Team participating. The opening ceremony was held at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio. Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping, Minister of Sport of China and IWUF President Gao Zhidan attended the opening ceremony.
At the ceremony, International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry delivered a speech, stating that the Olympic event coming to Africa is a historic milestone for Senegal, Africa, and the entire Olympic Movement. She encouraged all participating young athletes to stay firm in their beliefs, bravely pursue their dreams, cross national borders to make friends, and respect and support one another. Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, the Chairman of the Dakar Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee, called on all athletes to respect their opponents and forge precious friendships, expressing hope that this edition of the Games will leave a lasting development legacy for local communities. Subsequently, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially declared the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games open.
At the opening ceremony, wushu athletes attracted much attention. Senegalese wushu athlete Woreye Ndiaye, as the athlete representative of this Youth Olympic Games, stood under the Olympic rings and took a solemn oath. As a host-country athlete, Woreye will compete in the Women's Taijiquan Combined event and will make her appearance at the wushu venue on November 1.
At this edition of the Youth Olympic Games, wushu not only makes its historic debut but also becomes a shining calling card for delegations from many countries and regions. Outstanding young wushu athletes from around the world were appointed as flag bearers for their respective NOC delegations. This fully demonstrates the growing influence of wushu in the international sporting arena, as well as the high recognition and importance attached to the sport of wushu.
Wushu athletes from 11 countries and regions served as flag bearers, and they are:
CHUA Lauren Emily (BRU)
Miranda WEI (CAN)
LIN YILEI (CHN)
Chehem ABDALLAH YASSO (DJI)
Natnael HAGOS (ETH)
Tracy ASSENGONE (GAB)
Hao Ran POON (HKG)
Roberts RITENBERGS (LAT)
LIM Kai Shen (MAS)
Vincent OLSSON (SWE)
CHU Yu En (TPE)
Five Continents, One Wushu Dream
From November 1-3, wushu will be held as an official competition event of the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games at the Dakar Expo Center (DEX). At that time, 47 athletes from 46 countries and regions will compete in four events: Men's Changquan Combined, Women's Changquan Combined, Men's Taijiquan Combined and Women's Taijiquan Combined, fully showcasing the competitive level and spirit of young wushu athletes worldwide.
These young athletes are not only outstanding competitors on the field of play but also ambassadors of cultural dissemination. Wushu's debut at the Youth Olympic Games provides a high-level platform for the younger generation worldwide to showcase themselves and also injects strong momentum into the global popularization and development of the sport of wushu. Let us jointly look forward to the Dakar wushu competition from November 1-3, witnessing wushu athletes from five continents displaying their youthful brilliance on the Youth Olympic stage, and jointly creating a new chapter in the development of wushu.
Profile of the Athlete Who Took the Oath
Woreye NDIAYE
Profiles of Wushu Taolu Athlete Flag Bearers from 11 Countries and Regions
