Youth Olympic Games Dakar (October-November 2026)
* Dakar, Senegal | 31 October – 14 November 2026 *
The 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games will take place in Dakar, Senegal, the first country on the African continent to be awarded the honour of hosting an Olympic sports event. The Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 represent a catalyst for a sporting, social, cultural, educational and economic transformation that will create new hope, opportunities and confidence for young people.
Dakar 2026 is born out of the desire to take the Youth Olympic Games to all parts of the world and to put the Games at the heart of Africa’s transformation. Senegal’s sporting culture and practice is rooted in history and in the population, especially young people. It aims to be synonymous with symbiosis, exchange, joy and pride, but also humility for young people worldwide, in Africa and Senegal. Sport is meant to be a celebration, a way of living together, a factor for peace, rapprochement and social cohesion.
On January 8, 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that wushu will be included in the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games (postponed to 2026). This will be the first time that wushu has been included in the YOG sports programme. So far, in addition to the original 28 major events, the Dakar Youth Olympic Games in 2026 will add a total of 7 events including wushu.
This is a tremendous milestone in the development of wushu, and the positive outcome is the result of the hard work, longtime efforts and substantial global promotions of the IWUF and its 155 members over the past 30 years.
Wushu is now included in the next YOG as an official sport for several reasons:
1.Wushu is popular among young athletes. It offers gender equality in competition, uncomplicated requirements for fields of play and equipment, and sustainable development. These characteristics are consistent with the principles, vision and mission of the YOG and the IOC.
2.The promotion and popularization of wushu in Africa has been successful and steadily increasing. At present, the IWUF has 39 national federations in the African continent. In recent years, the competitive level of African wushu athletes has steadily improved. At the last two World Junior Wushu Championships in Bulgaria and Brazil athletes from Africa won three gold medals. Wushu is an official event at the All-Africa Youth Games held in 2018.
3.The Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing, China in 2022. As the representative of Chinese traditional sports, wushu’s inclusion in the YOG in 2022 creates a positive relationship which will promote the preparation of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
4.It will enhance understanding and friendship among youth from different countries, cultures, and beliefs, help promote understanding, and create cultural exchanges between the East and the West.
The Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games is expected to welcome 48 athletes from all over the world to participate in four events: Men’s Changquan & Gunshu Combined, Men’s Taijiquan & Taiji Fan Combined, Women’s Changquan & Gunshu Combined, Men’s Taijiquan & Taiji Fan Combined.
Official website: https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/dakar-2026
