Olympic flame welcomed in Dakar ahead of Africa's first Youth Games
The Olympic torch arrived in Dakar with a festive ceremony featuring music, dance and a procession of 100 women, marking the lead-up to the Youth Olympic Games.
In Dakar's waterfront plaza, the Olympic torch was received amid music, dancing and a march of 100 women known as “lingeer,” who wore flowing orange and golden dresses with yellow headwraps. The ceremony was highlighted by Senegalese basketball icon Mame Maty Mbengue igniting a cauldron, and International Olympic Committee head Kirsty Coventry calling the upcoming Youth Olympic Games a historic milestone for Africa. The flame, originally lit in Athens using a parabolic mirror, was handed over at the Panathenaic Stadium before departing Senegal on Monday for a 3,600-kilometre tour involving over 400 local torchbearers.
The Youth Olympics will run from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13, featuring about 2,700 athletes competing in 35 sports across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. This marks the first time the Olympic movement has staged a major event on the African continent.
Why it matters
It signals Africa's debut as a host of a major Olympic event, boosting regional pride and youth sport development.
In this story
