Around 2,700 young athletes will compete at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar from 31 October to 13 November 2026, and several Senegalese hopefuls are already in the spotlight. National Olympic Committees hold sole authority over selection, meaning each athlete's participation remains at their federation's discretion.
In basketball, 17-year-old wing Néné Sira Diallo has already represented Senegal, captaining the U16 team two years ago and featuring with the U18 side at the 2026 Women's Afrobasket in Abidjan. A 3x3 specialist from Dakar who started playing in 2017, she cites WNBA star Caitlin Clark as an inspiration. "Participating in the Youth Olympic Games and representing my country makes me proud. And since they are taking place in Dakar, we will give everything to win the gold medal," she told Olympics.com.
Seventeen-year-old left-handed fencer Abdourahmane Marième Sy is considered a strong medal prospect after team podium finishes at the African Junior Championships. "I have only one objective: to leave Dakar with a medal and enter the history of Senegal," he told France TV Afrique.
In swimming, Naël Lamine Voisin, the son of Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympian Nafi Touré, will aim to add to his four titles from the 2025 African Zone II Championships. He names French Olympic champion Léon Marchand as his model. Fourteen-year-old Eden Kazoum, the first Senegalese rider to obtain the FEI Certificate of Capability, which secured host-nation equestrian quota, will compete at the new Diamniadio Equestrian Centre with her father's favourite horse Ursuline Blue, while futsal international Marème Niang is also set to feature.
