Madar (Nouakchott) - The fourth Youth Olympic Games open in the Senegalese capital Dakar on Saturday, October 31, 2026, the first Olympic event held on the African continent, running until November 13, with Mauritania represented by three athletes in two sports.
The Mauritanian delegation arrived in Dakar on Wednesday, October 28, according to Rim Sport. Coumba Diop will represent Mauritania in judo, while Mbareeck Said and Faty Sy will run the 100 metres, accompanied by coaches Cheikh El Welly Cheikh for judo and Ndery Seck for athletics.
The National Olympic Committee said on October 26 that Mauritania had asked to compete in four sports but was granted only two under international criteria and quotas, a wider presence than at Buenos Aires 2018, when the country had two athletes.
In Dakar, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye will open the Games at the President Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in the presence of several heads of state and government and the IOC President, according to the Senegalese Council of Ministers communique of October 28, which also announced a "Dakar Summit" on "Sport for Development" the same day.
The Senegalese president urged the public to give a warm welcome to guests during "two intense weeks of competition and activities", while the prime minister asked ministries to stay vigilant throughout the Games and to finalise a legacy strategy including the integration of 6,000 young volunteers.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said in Dakar on the eve of the opening: Here we are at last, referring to Games postponed from 2022 to 2026.
