LAUSANNE, Switzerland, December 22nd, 2025 – The excitement is building, as in just over nine months the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Game will take place from Oct. 31 – Nov. 13, 2026. This will be the first Olympic-related event ever hosted on African soil, with the motto “Africa Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates”. Approximately 2,700 young athletes (aged 15-17) are expected to participate in 25 competition sports, including fencing, as well as 10 “engagement” (exhibition) sports. The events will be held in three host Senegalese cities in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
The symbolic final countdown began with the unveiling of “The Roar of Youth” medals on December 16th. The excited and emotional Spanish designer, Pilar Barbadillo Vicario said, “Right now, I feel as if I had won one of those medals myself. Athletes express themselves through sport, and for me it’s art. Knowing that young athletes will wear a medal with my design is just incredible.”
In fencing, six events will be held, in women’s and men’s individual epee, foil and sabre.
In preparation for Dakar 2026, the FIE is hosting an Olympic solidarity project for 18 African fencers, as the Games represent a strategic opportunity to showcase and develop African fencing talent. The project includes one-week training camps, prior to Junior world ranking competitions, where athletes may train under elite coaches. Athletes are being selected by the African national fencing federations, in conjunction with the African Fencing Confederation. The programme is holding sessions in Istanbul (Türkiye), Hammamet (Tunisia), Burgos (Spain) and Lagos (Nigeria), with three fencers per weapon/gender, between October and December of this year. The FIE is covering all costs for fencers, including travel, accommodation, meals, coaches’ fees and competition entry fees.
“Olympic Solidarity is very happy to be supporting the FIE youth training preparations towards Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in coordination with the IF”, said Sheila Stephens Desbans, IOC Head of Sport Development. “This project and the support for the NOCs and their NFs to best prepare towards the YOG, as well as beyond, is critical for these young athletes to have the good preparations and to learn from one another, the experts and the other athletes. It will be very interesting to see how this type of collaboration can have an impact in the sport of fencing.”
The African fencers in the FIE Olympic solidarity project are very excited and appreciative of being part of the programme, and especially looking forward to the opportunity of qualifying for the Youth Olympic Games. The following athletes were taking part in the training camp in Istanbul, Türkiye ahead of the Cadet and Junior Foil World Cup in november, and hoping to qualify for Dakar 2026:
“Dakar will be very special because it will be the first Olympic Games held in Africa”, said Egypt’s Sara Amr Hossny, who also competed in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “When I think of the Youth Olympics in Dakar, I see a lot of excitement and many young athletes from all over the world who have worked really hard for their success and who share a love for their sport.”
“It is a great honour for me to hopefully represent my nation [Ghana] through the Olympic Games as part of the history of Ghana fencing, and to represent all Ghanaians”, said Ghana’s Abdul Rahim Mahadi Mohammed.
“If I qualify, I’m most looking forward to the experience of competing against the best young athletes in the world and learning from them”, said Egypt’s Junes El Ebrashi. “I’m also excited about connecting with people from different countries and cultures who share the same love for sport. The Youth Olympic Games is more than a competition, it’s an opportunity to grow as an athlete and as a person.”
“This training camp really helped me grow, not only as a fencer but also as a person”, said Tunisia’s Ala Loussaie. “I’ve learned how to manage my emotions, and technically, I improved my footwork and precision, but most importantly, I gained confidence.”
FIE Secretary-General Gulnara Saidova expressed her enthusiasm for the FIE programme, saying, “We would like to thank Olympic Solidarity for this programme. At the FIE, we are committed to doing our utmost to provide young fencers with opportunities to participate and succeed in international competition. Through this initiative, African athletes can combine skill development with competitive exposure and elite training, maximising their performance gains.”
While the unveiling of “The Roar of Youth” medals kicked off the symbolic final countdown, the excitement will continue to build with the unveiling of the official mascot for the Games and the launch of the official countdown clock.
A summary report will be provided to the IOC Olympic Solidarity programme within 30 days after the project’s completion.
