The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games opened on the evening of 31 October local time at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, Senegal, the first time an Olympic event has been staged in Africa. The Games run until 13 November with 25 sports and 153 medal events. Vietnam's delegation of 18 includes 10 athletes in 7 sports, with the stated aim of winning a medal.
A Teranga ceremony
According to the website of Vietnam's Sports Authority, the ceremony was built around Teranga, the Senegalese tradition of hospitality, with 1,115 performers including 628 dancers and nearly 1,500 costumes. Baaba Maal, Kine Lam, Daara J Family, IB Quake and Sona Jobarteh performed, and a segment paid tribute to Africa's 54 nations. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye lit the flame, and IOC President Kirsty Coventry said she was immensely proud and excited for the world to experience Africa this way, as a Zimbabwean and an African woman.
Events take place at 8 venues in 3 zones: Dakar, Diamniadio and the coastal resort of Saly, about 80km from Dakar. The athlete count differs between two Sports Authority articles: about 2,700 in the opening report and about 2,655 in an overview. There are 204 National Olympic Committees, a Refugee Team for the first time, and an equal number of male and female athletes. President Faye told Le Soleil, the Sports Authority site reports, that sport in Senegal must become a real economy.
Vietnam's hopes
SGGP says no specific medal target has been set, but hopes rest mainly on beach wrestling and wushu. Lo Thi Hong won 45kg gold at the 2026 World Junior Beach Wrestling Championships and also took an Asian youth title. Nguyen Khac Le Hoang won gold at the 2026 World Junior Taijiquan Championships in Bulgaria, and wushu is part of the official programme for the first time.
Vietnam's athletes, compiled by KBVN+ from SGGP:
| Sport | Athletes |
|---|---|
| Beach wrestling | Lo Thi Hong, Pham Van Duong, Ha Ly Quy Bao |
| Wushu | Nguyen Khac Le Hoang |
| Swimming | Nguyen Thuy Hien, Duong Van Hoang Quy |
| Taekwondo | Nguyen Truong Nhat Huy |
| Badminton | Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen |
| Cycling | Nguyen Khang Ha My |
| Athletics | Dong Thi Huong |
Badminton player Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen and swimmer Duong Van Hoang Quy carried Vietnam's flag at the ceremony. SGGP suggests 1 to 2 medals would be a good outcome, while stressing this is an expert view rather than an official target. At Buenos Aires 2018, Vietnam won 2 golds and 1 silver through Nguyen Huy Hoang (swimming) and Ngo Son Dinh (weightlifting).
What comes next
Vietnam's athletes began competing on 1 November. SGGP sees success in Dakar as a foundation for developing the next generation towards the Asian Games and the Olympics. The Games close on 13 November.