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Türkiye will compete at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games with 34 athletes across 16 sports, the Turkish National Olympic Committee (TMOK) said. The Games will run from 31 October to 13 November in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

The delegation will include 14 women and 20 men. Around 2,700 athletes aged 15 to 18 are expected to compete in 25 sports at the fourth edition of the Youth Olympic Games, held every four years.

Turkish medal record at past Games

Türkiye has taken part in three previous Youth Olympic Games: Singapore 2010, Nanjing 2014 and Buenos Aires 2018, collecting 34 medals in total.

At Singapore 2010, Türkiye entered 55 athletes, 29 women and 26 men, and won 13 medals: two in boxing, three in wrestling, two in taekwondo and one each in gymnastics, fencing, football, weightlifting, judo and archery.

At Nanjing 2014, 42 Turkish athletes, 21 women and 21 men, won 10 medals: three in wrestling, two each in boxing, judo and taekwondo, and one in rowing. At Buenos Aires 2018, with 56 athletes, 30 women and 26 men, Türkiye won 11 medals: four in weightlifting, three in athletics, two in wrestling, and one each in judo and karate.

Venues across three cities

The 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games will be the first Olympic sports event held on the African continent. Competition will take place in Dakar as well as in Diamniadio and Saly.

Athlete delegations will be housed on the campus of Amadou Mahtar Mbow University in Diamniadio. The event carries the slogan "Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates" and will put the Senegalese hospitality culture of "Teranga" at the center.

Games postponed by four years

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided at its 136th session on 17 July 2020 to postpone the Games from 2022 to 2026. The event aims to carry the Olympic movement to different parts of the world and support sports activity in Africa.

Mascot Ayo represents African youth

The official mascot of the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games is Ayo, designed as a young lion tied to Senegal's culture of hospitality.

Ayo is meant to stand for the joy, courage and pride of African youth and their unity in diversity, and to represent the Games' messages of youth, hope and solidarity.

Key takeaways

• Türkiye will send 34 athletes, 14 women and 20 men, to compete in 16 sports at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games.
• The Games run from 31 October to 13 November in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, with about 2,700 athletes aged 15 to 18 competing in 25 sports.
• Türkiye has won 34 medals across three previous Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, Nanjing and Buenos Aires.
• Dakar 2026 will be the first Olympic sports event staged in Africa, with the mascot Ayo, a young lion, symbolizing Senegal's hospitality culture.