Youth Olympic Games Countdown Begins in Dakar, Senegal | Ratopati

Senegal. The countdown has begun for the ‘Youth Olympic Games’ to be held for the first time in Africa, and the Olympic flame was grandly welcomed in Senegal’s capital Dakar on Saturday.

Hundreds of people gathered at ‘Place du Souvenir Africain’ in Dakar. In a ceremony organized with music and dance, 100 influential women of Senegal took out a rally carrying the Olympic flame. They were called ‘Lingere’, a word in the Wolof language meaning queen or royal women.

Around 2,700 young athletes will compete in 35 sports in Dakar and nearby Diamniadio and Saly from October 31 to November 13.

The Youth Olympic Games, which began in Singapore in 2010, is a youth version of the Olympic Games for athletes aged 15 to 18. This competition, to be held in Senegal, is expected to provide new opportunities and inspiration for African youth.

Gassiragh Diagne, one of the ‘Lingere’, said that the competition will inspire youth from all over Africa. “Senegal is just a gateway to introduce a continent that is moving forward and looking towards the future to the world,” she said.

Senegal’s basketball legend Mame Maty Mbengue lit the Olympic cauldron at the ceremony. International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said it was a moment of pride for Senegal and Africa as a whole.

The Olympic flame, handed over to Senegal on Thursday from the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece, will travel approximately 3,600 kilometers starting Monday. Along with more than 400 torchbearers, it will tour all 14 regions of Senegal and return to Dakar for the opening ceremony.